


Every Day

by Ghost_boys



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Comedy, Ending in his 7th year, Every chapter is a different moment in Remus’s life, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Funny, Homophobic Slurs, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Marauders' Era, Mild Sexual Content, Slow Build, Smoking, Some angst, Starting in 1st year hogwarts, Swearing, a day in the life, focus on remus, has an epilogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-04 18:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13370682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_boys/pseuds/Ghost_boys
Summary: Every chapter features a different point in time throughout Remus Lupin's life, from meeting his best friends for the first time until he becomes an adult.





	1. First Year 1971 Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I really hope you enjoy this fanfiction as I really enjoyed writing it. It's something quite different to anything I've written before and I found the characters particularly fun to play around with. I hope you all like it! xxx Ghost_boys

Remus Lupin felt sick as he walked down from the front of the Great Hall after being sorted into Gryffindor. It just wasn’t what he had expected, his dad after all had been a Ravenclaw. He didn’t know a single person either, not that that would have been different if he had been sorted into Ravenclaw. He supposed he just had to get on with it. 

He sat down in the first available seat he saw and tired to make himself as invisible as possible. It worked so well - for the first three seconds that was. In that time Remus had kept his head down so he didn’t notice the boy to his left looking at him. 

“Hey?” The boy said. Remus looked up at him. “You alright?” He had an excited glint in his eye and black, curly hair which obvious attempts had been made to style.

Remus was perplexed, why this boy was taking an interest in him he simply couldn’t understand. “Yeah?” He replied more in the form of a question than anything else. 

“Y’don’t sound too sure.” The boy flashed a toothy grin at him. Remus couldn’t help smile shyly back, the other boy’s expression was infectious. 

“What’s your name?” Remus asked instead of humouring the boy’s question further. 

“Uh… I’m Sirius Black.” The boy said, all of a sudden losing the almost overwhelming confidence he previously had. Remus, however, understood why. He’d heard of the Black family; his father had told him about them briefly but some of the stories his father had included of the family weren’t easy to forget. This realisation of who the boy really was must have shown on Remus’s face as Sirius then quickly said; “but I’m not like any of them, hate the lot them in fact. I promise.”

“It’s good to meet you Sirius, I’m Remus Lupin.” Remus said and lifted his hand to shake Sirius’s. 

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Sirius looked immensely relieved. “Oh look!” Whispered Sirius excitedly once they’d introduced themselves. 

“What?” Asked Remus, following Sirius’s line of sight up to where the Sorting Ceremony was still continuing. 

“That’s Peter Pettigrew! I met him on the Hogwarts Express. I wonder what house he’ll be sorted in.” Said Sirius. 

A particularly small, rather chubby boy with light brown hair had just clambered up onto the stool where the intimidating Professor McGonagall placed a magical talking hat on his head. He twitched and fidgeted under the eyes of all the students watching. 

“Is he nice?” Remus whispered to Sirius. The Sorting Hat seemed to be taking a long time to put Peter into a house. 

“Yeah, he’s decent enough. He was pretty quiet through the journey. He mainly just listened to James and I talking.” Sirius said. “That’s James over there, James Potter.” Sirius pointed to the boy next in line to be sorted. He contrasted vastly with the rest of the waiting First Years as he was grinning from ear to ear and actually looked confident. He had light brown skin with a mass of unruly hair on his head along with dark brown eyes under a pair of glasses. 

“Gryffindor!” Shouted the Sorting Hat. Peter jumped down from the table, looking thrilled as he scuttled over towards Remus and Sirius. 

“Oh thank Merlin!” Peter whispered as he slid onto the bench opposite Sirius and Remus. “Didn’t think that would happen.”

“How come?” Remus frowned. 

“Gryffindor!” The Sorting Hat shouted not seconds later. 

“I knew it!” Said Sirius as he grinned watching James make his way over to them looking very pleased with himself. 

“Hello boys.” The boy James said, sitting himself down next to Peter. “I’m James Potter, you are?” He extended a hand over to Remus. 

Remus took his hand, not quite sure how he felt about James yet - he was awfully confident and certainly had Sirius and Peter captivated by him already. “Remus Lupin.”

Remus then left his hand up for Peter to take and introduce himself. 

“I had a feeling we’d all end up together.” James said, knowingly looking at Sirius and Peter. 

“Really?” Sirius raises an eyebrow. “I was sure I’d be a Slytherin.” 

“Nonsense! I’d have been able to tell immediately, awful lot Slytherins are.” James said solemnly. He certainly seemed to know a lot about Hogwarts and what went on there already.

“I thought I’d end up in Hufflepuff,” said Peter, “that’s where all the duffers go.”

“You put yourself down Peter.” Was all James could seem to offer to that. Secretly Remus thought James probably agreed with Peter. 

“So this is it then, right?” Sirius then said. 

“What do you mean?” Remus asked. 

“Well, we’re going to be at Hogwarts together, sharing a dormitory, probably having lots of lessons together, for the next seven years.” Sirius said looking delighted. 

“Gosh, when you put it like that I’m suddenly not sure I should have come to Hogwarts if I have to spend it with you lot.” James said laughing. 

“It is a long time.” Remus added thoughtfully. 

“It’ll be fun!” Peter concluded. 

“Shh, shh!” James then hissed. “Dumbledore’s about to talk.”

They all in unison turned their heads to the front of the hall to listen to their Headmaster who had just stood up and made his way to address his students. “Good evening everyone! Welcome back to our older students and to the First Years: welcome!” 

He stood looking calm at the front of the Great Hall, smiling in a fatherly type of way. “Before you tuck into the amazing feast which has been prepared for you I have a few announcements. 

“Firstly, and it has to be said I’m afraid, there will be no magic allowed in corridors between lessons. Secondly, the Forbidden Forest is, as the name suggests, forbidden to go into. And finally, we have a new addition to the school grounds, a magnificent tree called the Whomping Willow.” Remus suddenly felt sick as Dumbledore slid his reassuring, kind eyes over to Remus. “This tree, however, by no means should be approached. Anyway, that is all from me as I’d hate to keep you from your meal any longer, please, enjoy!” 

With that more food than Remus had ever seen in his life erupted from thin air onto the table.

“Oh wow!” Said Peter, his jaw slack, filling his plate already. 

“I wonder what all that about this tree is about.” James said as he scooped food onto his own plate. 

“Sounds odd to me.” Sirius nodded. “Like they’re hiding something about it. Maybe something’s hidden in it!”

“I think it’s just strange he did even give a reason as to why we shouldn’t go near it.” James said frowning. 

“Maybe he is challenging us though! They could be trying to find out who the bravest students are.” Sirius said, puffing his chest out. 

Remus at that point simply wanted to disappear. He of course knew exactly why the tree had been planted: for him. The tree was actually a secret passageway which lead to a shack on the edges of Hogsmeade, the neighbouring village. It was planted so that when every month when Remus would transform into a werewolf he would have a place to go so he couldn’t harm, or more importantly turn, anyone in Hogwarts. 

“I say we should challenge this sentiment from old Dumbledore. After all, we are Gryffindors now, brave at heart an all that.” James smirked at Sirius who seemed to be thrilled at the proposed notion. 

“Don’t you think there’s a reason we were told not to go near it?” Remus piped up. “It could be dangerous?”

“Rules are meant to be broken, and besides that’s all part of the fun.” James dismissed him. Sirius nodded in agreement. 

“What do you say then? Tomorrow? After lessons?” James said. 

“Sounds brilliant!” Sirius grinned. 

“Peter? Remus?” James looked around at them both. 

Peter, who more than anything just seemed happy to be included, nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, sounds fun.”

Then, all eyes were on Remus. He could hardly say no, he reasoned to himself. After all, considering he knew how to calm the tree and exactly what the tree actually did he could help them if they got into trouble. Remus therefore put on a brave face and acted like he was equally as excited as everyone else, “count me in.”

“Good man!” James smiled at him. Maybe James wasn’t too bad after all. 

“You’re all mad.” Tutted a girl next to Peter. 

“Oh Evans, I knew you’d want to join in at some point.” James laughed. “You simply can’t help yourself.”

“It’s stupid, what you’re planning on doing.” The girl said, crossing her arms and taking no notice of James. “It’s so obvious that you’re trying to show off.” She had long dark red hair and very pretty green eyes. James couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. 

“What are you going to do about it? Tell Dumbledore?” James mocked. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll get it loads more trouble if you actually did it rather then me snitching on you.” She said. Remus smiled at that. 

“Oh Evans you’re good.” Sirius nodded approvingly to her. Sirius then leaned closer to Remus and said quietly, “this is Lily Evans, we also met her on the train here. She told James off for buying the last Pumpkin Pastie.” 

“I’m Remus Lupin.” Remus said to her. She gave him a small and quick smile. Remus could tell she was probably a nice person but getting off on the wrong foot with James most likely meant she’d be determined to not get along with the rest of the boys too by mere affiliation. 

“I look forward to hearing of your detentions nonetheless.” Lily said. 

“I bet you will.” James smirked at her. She just rolled her eyes and turned away from them. 

“Anyway, now that pleasant interruption is over, Remus,” James look over to him.

“Yes?” Remus asked. 

“Tell us about yourself, we’ve all spent hours with each other already and I’m just about bored to death of reassuring Sirius I don’t care he comes from the Black family.” James said. Sirius grinned. 

“Right, well then,” Remus suddenly felt very put on the spot. “I’m half-blood, not that that matters I suppose but my dad went to Hogwarts and my mum’s a Muggle. My dad works in the Ministry and my mum’s a retired insurance office worker.”

“Ooh, what’s that?” Sirius asked looking interested. 

Remus laughed. “Well my mum says it’s about the most boring job a person could get. She basically gives people insurance on their houses.”

“She gives what on their houses?” James asked. 

Remus found it funny how intrigued they all looked when his mum had told him for years now that quitting insurance had been the best decision of her life. “It’s like lets say if something wrong happens to your house, like a fire or a flood; this would cost a lot of money to fix. Because this could happen, you pay the insurance company however much money a month so if something bad happens they help pay for it to be fixed.”

“That sounds really exciting though!” Sirius said. 

“My mum isn’t the one who fixes the houses in fires or floods!” Remus laughed. “She just arranges the money for the damage to be sorted out.”

“Yeah, no your mum’s right, it does sound rather boring.” James said. 

“That's why she’s retired now, but, uh, she’s got this illness too.” Remus figured he’d get this lie out of the way as quickly as possible. “It’s not very serious but I, uh, have permission to visit her once a month.” 

His mother on the other hand was perfectly fine. It was actually Dumbledore’s idea for Remus’s mum to be the excuse of why Remus would have to leave the castle once a month. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Sirius said genuinely. 

“Don’t be, it’s not terminal or anything.” Remus shrugged. It was something he’d been planning on slipping into conversation and he was thankful he’d managed to get it out of the way so soon. 

“What about your dad though? You said he worked in the Ministry?” James said, swiftly changing the subject. 

“Oh yeah, he works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He’s so obsessed with these things called ‘Non-Human Spirituous Apparitions’ the Ministry just asked for his help in in containing Dark creatures.” Remus said. 

“Now that is wicked!” Sirius looked very impressed. 

“I guess it is quite cool if your into that sort of thing.” Remus nodded. 

“Are you kidding? He’s out there! Fighting You-Know-Who!” James said, his eyes wide. 

Remus grinned. “He loves doing it too.”

“Merlin I wish my dad was that interesting. All he’s done is invent this hair potion.” James said. Remus eyed James’s unruly hair with doubt. “I don’t bloody well use it!” James laughed at Remus’s expression. “It’s for women.” 

“All I have to say is if we’re going to play who has the worst dad here I win every time.” Sirius said. 

“What’s he like?” Peter asked. 

“There’s not much to say about either of my parents really. The fact they’re both You-Know-Who sympathisers says it all.” Sirius shrugged. 

“Christmas Dinner must be fun at your house?” James offered a smile. 

“You have no idea.” Sirius said darkly. He then flashed the group a cheeky grin before saying, “I try to keep them on their toes though. Dear Merlin I can’t wait until they find out I’m a Gryffindor! I wouldn’t be surprised if they disowned me on the spot!” He said with glee. 

“If they do you can come and live with me.” James said sounding like he was joking but a part of Remus could tell despite him knowing Sirius just one day that James meant it. 

Sirius however laughed at that. “When can I move in?” He said. 

Not after long everyone had stuffed themselves full with the incredible food they’d been served and were feeling warm and dozy. 

Before they knew it Dumbledore was standing at the front of the hall again. “It looks like you all enjoyed that thoroughly! You’ll be pleased to hear, I’m sure, that it’s time to go off to bed now. Prefects, please lead the First Years away now. Thank you all for a glorious welcome feast!”

Remus got up with the rest of the First Years at the Gryffindor table. There wasn’t a lot of them, ten in total. Then, giving one girl a jump, an older boy and girl shouted for them to hurry up and get a move on out of the hall. The other houses, however, were all doing the same though so it got rather confusing. 

“This way Gryffindors!” Shouted the older girl, beckoning them to the Grand Staircase. The prefect boy was behind them bringing up the rear. 

Remus ended up traipsing up the stairs next to Sirius. He was now beginning to feel slightly unnerved once again. Really it was his first time properly away from home, and away from his dad who would help him with his transformation every month. It was all of a sudden dawned on him that he’d be alone. 

Somewhat thankfully Sirius was nattering away next to him, pointing out people he recognised in the portraits they passed. 

Eventually they reached the very top of the Grand Staircase where the common room was. It was guarded by the Fat Lady portrait. At some point Remus supposed the prefects told them where they went to get from the hall to to common room, along with the password to get in. Despite this, Remus decided he must have missed all of it while contemplating what life will be like for him at Hogwarts, alongside Sirius’s constant one-sided conversation with him. 

“Here we are!” The older boy said, smiling down at them as they entered the red and gold adorned common room. 

“Wow! This is amazing!” Sirius’s whole face lit up as his eyes scoured the room. Remus instead looked at Sirius realising this was most likely the first time he’d been in a place like this where he was surrounded by people who liked him in a bright, happy place. 

“Up to your rooms now everyone.” Said the prefect girl. “Boys are to the left and girls are on the right. Try not to stay up all night talking, you’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” 

Remus couldn’t help turning around to James and Sirius who were looking at each other like they were desperately trying not to burst out laughing. 

They all went upstairs, practically running in excitement. “Night Evans!” Shouted James, seeming unable to restraint himself. Sirius howled with laughter as Lily turned around from the doorway which led to the girl’s dormitory to shoot a look of distain at James.

Their dormitory was right at the top of the long and winding staircase. It was certainly hazardous considering James and Sirius, with Peter following a few steps behind, leapt and jumped up the whole way. Remus, on the other hand, looked out of every window that he passed. Out of one of them he saw the Whomping Willow far in the distance, its long branches swaying in the wind. He looked up at the sky as he passed another one, how the moon was waning already he didn’t understand; the months always passed so quickly.

Not before long Remus made it to his dorm. The other boys were already inside and standing around the log burner which occupied the centre of the room, they were all looking around in wonder. Remus could understand why; after all it was going to be their room for the next seven years. 

“I’m taking this bed!” Sirius shouted, jumping high and landing flat on his back like a starfish on one of the four-poster beds, his eyes closed, apparently in bliss.

“I’m having this one!” James performed a similar motion to Sirius, landing in the bed to his left, closest to the door. 

Peter, grinning all the same, sat down on the bed on the other side of the door, claiming it silently as his own.

“That means you’re next to me Remus!” Sirius beamed at him. “Oh come on, don’t look so scared!” Sirius laughed at Remus’s slightly taken aback expression. “Just to let you know I do sometimes sleep talk, sleep walk, snore and often have night terrors.” 

“Brilliant.” Remus said sarcastically, making his way to his bed.

“Only joking, except the sleep talking, I do often sleep talk.” Sirius said.

“As soon as I learn ‘silencio’ you’ll be the first person I use it on.” Remus said.

“I’d be honoured!” Sirius laughed. 

They all after then put their pyjamas on and arranged their trunks which the house elves must have brought up. “This is just wicked, isn’t it?” James said once he finished straightening his Holyhead Harpies poster and sitting down at the end of his bed crossed-legged.

“We are going to be legendary at this school, I’ll make it my duty.” James continued. Remus didn’t know why but he believed him but he could't help it.

“We already are; didn’t you know?” Sirius frowned at him. “It’s my cheeky chappie, charming good looks. They’ve already brought me fame to this castle. You’ll see, the fan mail will come flying in tomorrow morning.” 

They all laughed at that. Remus was lucky, he saw this properly now, he was incredibly lucky to end up with these three boys as friends so quickly. He knew, especially with his condition, that life at Hogwarts wouldn’t always be plain sailing but he’d at least always have fun along the way with his friends. With that Remus went to bed happy, full of delicious food, and desperate for it to be the next morning.


	2. Second Year 1973 Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus’s Second Year at Hogwarts. Remus is faced with the choice of losing his friends or telling them his secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Xxx

“Mr. Lupin, we really must discuss last night.” McGonagall said sternly. “I let you off the hook with detentions after the incident in Professor Binns’s class-”

“In my defence Professor I did warn James against letting off twenty dungbombs in the middle of a lesson. Professor Binns didn’t notice anyway.” Remus said reproachfully, trying his best to put on his innocent face Sirius always mocked him for using on teachers.

“That is besides the point Mr. Lupin,” McGonagall sighed warily. It was only James Potter’s second year and he’d already accumulated more detentions than the average seventh year student throughout their entire time at Hogwarts. “Did you not smuggle at least five of the bombs into your bag going into the lesson?”

“Yes Professor.” Remus looked at his feet. He genuinely liked Professor McGonagall, whom he could tell had a soft spot for himself, James and Sirius. Peter not so much, but she only really liked the rest of the boys for being so good at Transfiguration and Peter was dreadful and the subject. “I won’t do it again.” Remus assured her.

McGonagall just looked at him with a glint in her eyes. “I know you never would have done it if not for Potter and Black, I appreciate that, still Mr. Lupin you ought to know better.” Remus just nodded at her earnestly. McGonagall then briskly clapped her hands together giving Remus a little jump. “Now, what I was meant to talk to about and started to at the beginning was last night.”

Remus sank a little further into his chair. What happened last night had been terrifying, the worst part about it was that he had a funny feeling the boys, especially Sirius, were starting to get very suspicious about where he went off to every month. It was worse when he sometimes got injured during his transformations like last time. Sirius wouldn’t drop asking Remus how he got a rather nasty cut on his cheekbone.

“Yes?” Remus prompted his teacher.

McGonogall looked down at Remus a little sadly. “Apart from the fact Dumbledore has taken to recently disguising himself and going into various pubs in Hogsmeade to try and spread stories of a ghoul known to now reside in what the locals have named the Shrieking Shack to cover for you-“

“Has he really?” Remus would have laughed at the idea of the Headmaster disguising himself to spread ghost stories around pubs under any other circumstance.

“Yes he has! Last night there was also a number of distressed residents who have reported to the school sightings of a large animal, telling us to warn the students who have permission to go into Hogsmeade at weekends.” McGonagall said.

“Oh,” Remus suddenly felt sick. “I promise I tried not to be loud or go anywhere near people’s houses, I don’t understand how they could have seen me.”

“Admittedly, after the disturbances heard at the shack you go to, a few of the residents have taken it to themselves to investigate slightly.” McGonagall said gently.

Remus’s jaw went slack. “I can hardly help that Professor, I’m not really myself when I turn into a great big werewolf you see and I certainly can’t help a group of stupid people looking for a death wish.” He said and almost regretted the ferocity at which he spoke.

McGonagall looked a little taken aback too by his bluntness but nonetheless continued. “I understand this Mr. Lupin, which is why Dumbledore is out doing what he’s doing. Thankfully it is another month until the next full moon so that should leave plenty of time to get the message across. It’s nearly the end of the school year too and the summer break should leave enough time to stop the locals worrying. The point it however, for your safety as well as others, if there’s a repeat of this wards will be put up around the shack.”

“Okay,” was all Remus could manage to say. He knew that when he was a werewolf he became incredibly dangerous but it was always a stark reminder of the danger he posed to others when things like this got said to him.

“Thank you Remus,” McGonagall gave him a tired smile. “You’d better go off to lunch now.”

“It’s no problem Professor.” Remus nodded his head at her and left her office as quickly as he could without appearing rude.

He, however, all but ran out to the school grounds where his friends James, Sirius and Peter and him usually went at lunch on hot summer days like that one. Sure enough there they were, sat on the grass, or in James’s case laying on the grass, by the lake.

“Remus!” Sirius was the first to spot him and waved him over immediately. Remus made his way through the long yellowing grass over to them, using his hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun. 

James was lazily swishing his wand up in the air, creating dazzling golden sparks, Peter was just watching what James’s wand was doing with glazed eyes. 

He sat himself down on the warm ground and felt his conversation with McGonagall gradually leave his thoughts as he adopted the lazy way his friends were acting. “Lovely day.” Remus said. 

“Beautiful.” Sirius nodded in agreement. He was sat cross-legged, tearing bits of grass to shreds. His hair had grown so long if completely shielded his eyes from the sun. “How was Minerva?”

“As wonderful as ever.” Remus said. 

“Not in any trouble are you?” Sirius frowned slightly. 

“None. She was talking to me about mum.” Remus lied. 

“Everything alright with her?” Peter asked. 

“Oh yeah all fine. She wanted to know how she was getting on from when I last saw her.” Remus said. 

Remus noticed Sirius pursing his lips so decided to swiftly change the subject. 

“I do wish you would cut your hair Sirius.” Remus smiled to himself as he lifted his hand to flick a strand of it out of Sirius’s face. 

“And I do wish you would tell me how you got that cut on your face. Beggars can’t be choosers.” Sirius replied rather cooly. 

“I told you how I got it. My parents have a cat.” Remus said quietly and rolled his eyes. Not that again. 

“Must have been a bloody big cat.” Sirius said darkly. 

“Remus has a point you know Sirius.” James piped up, still laid down. “Your hair really is rather long now. You look like someone from that band... Merlin what’s it called, it’s your favourite Sirius...”

Sirius sighed. “Firstly, the band you’re referring to is Led Zeppelin and they are iconic so thank you, secondly it’s called having style so I wouldn’t expect you to know much about it considering you have none and thirdly my mother hates boys with long hair and I greatly look forward to seeing her face this summer when she gets an eyeful of it.”

Remus laughed at that. James scoffed at Sirius saying he had no style and Peter grinned to himself.

“I’m still unimpressed with you Remus. You look like you’ve died.” Sirius said frowning at him. 

“Thanks.” Remus said sarcastically. 

“I think he’s just worried about you?” James offered, looking warily at Sirius who was scowling at Remus. 

“I just don’t get it. I really don’t.” Sirius muttered to himself. 

“Sirius don’t do this now.” Remus sighed. 

“What’s going on?” Peter asked. 

“Why don’t you explain to Peter what’s going on Remus?” Sirius said. 

“There’s nothing-“ Remus started tiredly. 

“-nothing? Really? Nothing?” Sirius said. 

“Come on mate don’t start this now,” James said. “It’s too hot and I’m too tired for this.”

“James agrees with me too!” Sirius said, ironically completely ignoring what James previously said. 

“That’s not strictly true-“ James started but, like Remus, was interrupted by Sirius. 

“-You see Peter, as I’m sure you’ve realised by now, every month our friend Remus goes for one night back home to visit his mother who has a mysterious illness. He then returns in the early hours of the morning to Hogwarts looking like he’s just come out of a boxing rink.” Sirius said with vigour. 

“Why are you doing this?” Remus asked quietly. 

“Knock it off Sirius.” James warned, finally sitting up to glare at Sirius, making Remus feel terribly grateful for him. 

“I’m lost.” Peter said. 

“Would it make you happier if I said the only reason why I’m doing this is because I’ve been worried about you since that time in first year when instead of you coming back to your bed after one of your little trips away you ended up in the Hospital Wing?” Sirius said looking at Remus with wide eyes. 

“It helps slightly,” Remus bit his lip, “but doesn’t make it okay.”

“Just drop it for now Sirius.” James laid back down, clearly satisfied he’d got his point across. 

Sirius just ducked his head, realising he’d lost that fight, and tore a mighty handful of grass out of the ground and proceeded to shred it. Under normal circumstances Remus would have told him to stop wrecking the school grounds which most likely would have followed with a handful of grass scattered over his head, but he decided not to that day. 

Instead Remus took a deep breath and started getting on with helping Peter with his Transfiguration homework. 

“How are you so good at this?” Whined Peter, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he scribbled down a few points Remus had told him to include in his essay. 

“He’s a genius that’s why.” Sirius said with the tiniest hint of bitterness, making Remus blush slightly. “McGonagall is so taken with him she didn’t even give him a detention after the dungbombs in a History of Magic. Instead you have a nice little chat. I bet she offered you a tray of biscuits.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Remus said, “she only gave me one.” This made Sirius smile despite himself and then try to desperately hide it. 

“It’s not fair really, we all know the only reason she didn’t let me off is because she doesn’t want to be so open with her love.” James sighed. Sirius finally, thankfully laughed. With that the horrible tension shrouding them immediately lifted off them all. 

“Well she bloody well hates me.” Groaned Peter. 

“That’s because you’re both terrible at Transfiguration and hang around with us so get into trouble weekly.” James reasoned. “It’s not a great combination Petey, you need to pull your socks up.”

Remus smiled as Peter rolled his eyes. “What do you think I’m trying to do?” Peter said. 

“Well, pay attention then.” Reminded Remus. Peter bit his lip as though torn between retorting again but decided against it and kept quiet as Remus carried on explaining the homework to him. 

The boys kept lazily talking and gently mocking Peter at his attempts to understand Remus for the rest of their lunch break. It ended up taking Remus several minutes to persuade James and Sirius that yes they did have to go to their next lesson and no they couldn’t skip just this once. 

As they walked up back to the castle Remus ended up walking side-by-side with Sirius as James and Peter ended up further ahead. Remus had just thought to himself how well he’d managed to avoid Sirius’s questions for another day when he noticed his friend rather deliberately slowing his pace, causing Remus who was waking with him to slow down too. 

Remus could almost tell what topic Sirius was going to pick up on. If Sirius hadn’t guessed by now that Remus was a werewolf he certainly would soon enough. Remus dreaded the day. He’d do almost anything to prevent them from ever finding out because he knew it meant losing all of them. 

“We need to talk mate.” Sirius said quietly to him, moving his mouth so slightly if anyone looked at him from a distance they wouldn’t think he was talking at all. 

Remus just couldn’t bring himself to reply. Saying yes would mean Sirius could find out his secret but saying no would only make him more suspicious. 

“Remus?” Sirius looked at him, concern written all over his face.

“I don’t want to talk about it really.” Remus said so quietly it was nearly a whisper. 

“I’m worried about you. James is too he just doesn’t like arguing with you. Peter would be I’m sure if he had any idea what’s going on.” Sirius said.

“Nothing is going on.” Remus said resolutely. 

“Remus please.” Sirius insisted. 

Remus took a long time to reply. Eventually he said; “we can talk - but please can it just be us alone.”

“Anything you want.” Sirius nodded. 

“Later though, tonight when everyone else is in bed.” Remus continued. 

“That’s fine. I just want you to be okay Remus.” Sirius nudged him on the shoulder as he finally picked up the pace again. 

“I am okay, perfectly okay.” Remus muttered. Sirius just snorted at him but didn’t say a word more. 

Remus continued the rest of his day constantly battling his anxiety about the conversation with Sirius that he’d been putting off for so long. He didn’t want to think about how Sirius would react if he did find out Remus was a werewolf. He imagined it would be something like disgust though. 

Dinner passed over Remus like a dream as the hours flowed by. James and Sirius joked along together like normal. James had a small argument with Lily regarding one of Lily’s friends, Severus Snape who was a Slytherin, on their way back up to the common room, again just like normal. 

Just like dinner time, the evening passed far too quickly too. Remus tried to get on with his homework but found it increasingly impossible to concentrate. Remus felt so uncomfortable he was surprised almost that everyone else looked so relaxed. He did, however, notice Sirius shooting him concerned looks more than usual. 

Eventually Peter was yawning more often than he wasn’t and went up to bed. James was soon after nattering for Sirius to go to bed too. Sirius kept telling him to go on, that he’d be up in a minute and Remus felt his stomach drop as he tried to pretend that he couldn’t hear them. 

“Merlin he’s needy.” Sirius tried to joke as he sat himself in the armchair opposite Remus but he could tell Sirius was almost as nervous as he was. James had just become out of earshot as the door leading to the boys dormitories swung shut after him. 

“So,” Sirius then said after the awkward silence that followed his first comment. 

“So.” Remus nodded and gulped, looking down at his lap. 

“Look, Remus,” Sirius reached over and gave Remus’s forearm a squeeze. “I really don’t want you to feel this crap, you look like you’re about to throw up.”

“Sorry.” Remus whispered. 

“Remus, please don’t apologise. What’s wrong? You’re so nervous, something must be bothering you.” Remus finally looked up at his friend, his eyes were full of concern, his hand still on Remus’s arm. “It’s me, your best friend, remember? If you’re in any trouble we’ll stick with you through ‘till the end of it.” He said. 

Remus gave a horse, sad laugh at that. It hurt him inside because he knew they simply wouldn’t. 

“Why did you laugh?” Sirius asked. 

Remus took a deep sigh. He couldn’t speak, he simply couldn’t form the words, he was paralysed. 

“Remus please talk to me, you’re worrying me.” Sirius said. 

“I can’t.” Remus said. 

“What’s stopping you?” Sirius asked. 

“You’d hate me.” Remus managed to get out. His palms were sweating. His heart was racing. 

“I couldn’t ever hate you Remus.” Sirius shook his head profusely. 

“If you knew...” Remus said so softly Sirius barely heard him. 

“Knew what? Remus, where is it you’ve been going every month? Please?” Sirius said. 

“Sirius,” Remus all but pleaded. 

“I know you don’t want to tell me but Remus, every month you come back battered and bruised. What is it they do to you? Hit you?” Sirius said. 

“God no.” Remus put his head in his hands. “It’s not my parents.”

“Okay, well at least it’s not that. I thought maybe... I don’t know. I just know what that’s like to live with but it doesn’t matter now.” Sirius said, almost more to himself than Remus. 

“Do you even go to your parents?” Sirius then asked. He sat, looking at Remus waiting for some sign of communication from him and finally the boy slowly but surely shook his head. 

“Okay, So you don’t go to your parents... but you go somewhere... every month, once a month, and get absolutely battered.” Sirius summed up slowly. 

“Just say it.” Remus felt tears prickling in the corners of his eyes. “I know you know Sirius. You and James probably guessed ages ago.”

All Sirius wanted to do was hug his friend so instead of pulling this conversation out any longer he whispered; “werewolf.”

Remus didn’t move and Sirius didn’t think he ever would have done if Sirius hadn’t have gotten up and nudged Remus to move over so he could sit next to him and tightly wrap his arms around his friend. 

“You’re not disgusted.” Remus said thickly after a few minutes, still in the confines of hiding himself behind his hands. Sirius has since then let go of him, sensing he needed some space. 

“Of course not.” Sirius said. “I don’t hate you either.”

Remus needed to process that. He worked it through in his head again and again but he just didn’t believe it. “I don’t understand.” He said. 

“You haven’t changed. You’re still Remus. You’re right too, me and James thought it could be a possibility and didn’t even need to agree that it meant nothing to us other than that we want to help you through it.” Sirius said. 

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Remus finally lifted his head from his palms and looked at Sirius. He knew he looked a wreck, probably with a red face and puffy, bloodshot eyes, of course with a nasty cut on his face to top it off. 

“You don’t have to say anything. We’re like a family, you, me, James and Peter. We’ll be here for each other no matter what.” Sirius said. 

“Thank you.” Remus said. Sirius began to interrupt him but Remus cut him off. “No, really, you don’t know how much this means to me. It means everything.”

“I don’t know what you expected us to do, we hardly could have decided to stop talking to you ever again.” Sirius smiled at last. Remus just shrugged as it was one of the many possible things he thought his friends would have done when they found out. 

“James and I have already had this absolutely brilliant idea of how we can help you out each month.” Sirius said, at last looking like his usual excited self. Remus laughed, he couldn’t help it, he was so relieved. 

“Go on then.” Remus said. 

“Well, we thought, now hear me out, we thought we would, that’s me, James and Peter, become Animagi.” Sirius said, his eyes almost glittering. 

Remus laughed again, this time in disbelief. “You’re kidding?”

“Never to you Remus!” Sirius grinned. “We thought that if we could change into these huge wicked animals the same time you do we could keep you in check, make sure you don’t get yourself or anyone else in trouble.”

“What about you though?” Remus said, despite himself already seeing one huge flaw in the plan that wasn’t even three boys becoming Animagi in the first place. 

“What do you mean?” Sirius asked. 

“It’ll be really dangerous.” Remus said. 

“Nah, that’s part of the fun!” Sirius said. 

“No Sirius you don’t understand.” Remus sighed. “There a chance I could... you know... turn you.”

“You need to believe in yourself a bit more Remus, you’d never do that, even as a werewolf, you’d just never.” Sirius shook his head. “You need to trust us on this one. We want to help you. You’ve gone through all this alone for so long it’s just not fair. You of all people deserve it.” Sirius looked at him in such a serious way Remus couldn’t help but believe it.

Hearing Sirius’s words made Remus’s eyes prickle dangerously again so instead of further embarrassing himself that night Remus hugged Sirius. He sighed deeply as he rested his chin on Sirius’s shoulder. 

“It’ll be okay Remus, we’re always going to be there for you.” Sirius said and hugged him back harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should be up soon! Please leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you liked this chapter! Thank you xxxxxx


	3. Third Year 1973 Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally gather their first pieces of information about becoming Animagi and then have a run in with Snape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I really hope you enjoy this chapter and like the boy's interaction with Snape! xxx

Remus was in Transfiguration. It was mid way through the school term and he was just about fed up with lessons. He looked around to where his friends were sat and saw they looked just about as bored as Remus felt. Peter gave a tremendous yawn and Sirius, who was sat next to Remus, was doodling something that looked something like a boy with huge muscles and a leather jacket hexing another boy with a distressed expression and a hooked nose. James was the only one who was at least pretending to pay attention, but that was just to maintain his title of McGonagall’s faviourite. 

“Now everyone!” Professor McGonagall raised her voice, clearly sensing the lull in the classroom. “We’re going to be starting a new topic now: Animagi. Please open your textbooks to chapter four and pay attention.”

Suddenly it was like a fuse went through the four boys. They sat up poker straight and were now hanging onto their Professors every word. She eyed them all but didn’t look suspicious yet. 

“An Animagi, as I’m sure some of you know, are people who can change at will, or with the aid of a wand, into an animal.” With that McGonagall, who was leaning against her desk at the front, promptly transformed into a silver tabby cat. 

The whole class erupted into applause, none louder than James or Sirius who looked like the whole lesson, and the way it seemed to be going, meant Christmas had come early. 

“Thank you,” McGonagall said once she transformed back to herself, giving a rare smile to her class. 

“Bravo Professor!” Called Sirius, making the whole class laugh. 

“This is finally the real deal!” Remus heard James whisper to Sirius from across the room. They’d all been looking for books on Animagi since finding out Remus was a werewolf and deciding to become one in order to help him. They hadn’t really found anything and what little on the subject they did find was so strange made less to no sense to them. 

“To become an Animagi,” Remus couldn’t help turning to see his friends faces all light up at this, “you have to go through a long, arduous and tedious process.” All of their faces fell simultaneously which Remus couldn’t help finding funny. 

McGonagall continued. “It involves keeping a single Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month-”

“-A month!” Sirius couldn’t seem to control himself as he shouted out in outrage. 

“Yes Mr. Black, a whole month from full moon to full moon, it won’t work if the sky’s cloudy at the end of the month either so you’d have to start again. That’s just the first part.” McGonagall said. James’s face was becoming more and more ashen. “After then, you spit the leaf in a phial within range of the moon's pure rays. Then the wizard or witch must add one of their own hairs, a silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days, and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth to the phial.”

“How on Earth do you even begin to find any of that?” Peter asked, his eyebrows furrowed. 

McGonagall looked a little confused at Peter taking an interest into her lesson for once but answered him accordingly. “It is very difficult I must agree, when I was going through the process I had Professor Dumbledore’s assistance. You can, however, buy the ingredients of course but some are very expensive, such as the teaspoon of dew.”

Addressing the class again McGonagall continued. “The mixture must then be put in a quiet, dark place, not to be in any way disturbed. Next, the wizard must wait for an electrical storm, whenever that might be. During this waiting period the wizard must, at sunrise and sundown without fail, chant the incantation ‘Amato Animo Animato Animagus’ with the tip of their wand placed over the heart. When, at last, there is a lightening storm, the wizard ought to move immediately to a large and secure place, recite the incantation one final time, and then drink the potion.”

“Bloody hell.” Whispered Sirius to Remus. 

“At least now we know exactly how to do it.” Remus said, trying to be positive but at that point he wouldn’t be surprised if the boys decided to give up. 

“What about the animal bit though?” James asked. “Do you get to choose?”

“Oh no, the animal, however, does tend to be determined by the person’s personality and traits. Ones Patronus charm often takes the form of their Animagus form too.” McGonagall said. 

“Brilliant. What if my Animagus form is a blowfish or something, all that effort for a blowfish.” Sirius muttered to Remus who had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. 

“You really think you share personality traits with a blowfish? If I were you I’d be more worried you’d end up turning into a flamingo or a peacock, that’s much more you.” Remus whispered back once he controlled himself. Sirius scowled back at him but couldn’t hold it for long before smiling. 

“Do you two have something to add to the lesson?” McGonagall stared pointedly at the pair of them. 

Still trying not to laugh both of them ducked their heads. “No Professor.” Said Sirius for both of them. 

“Well you should both be paying attention because, everyone, your homework tonight will be to write two feet of parchment on Animagi, how to become one and as well as that Wizarding law on Animagi.” McGonagall said. A few members of the class gave a groan. “You should be able to find the appropriate answers in the library as well as help from your textbooks.”

“Class is dismissed.” McGonagall finally said. They all got up and started packing their bags. 

Before either Remus and Sirius had finished James had hurried over to them from his desk, still shoving bits of parchment into his bag. “Well that certainly was informative.” He said. 

“I knew I remembered bits of it too. We’d already found all that on how to become an Animagi last year we just didn’t believe that could possibly be the only way to become one.” Sirius said. 

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep a mandrake leaf in my mouth for a month...” Peter said quietly as he made his way over too, looking rather sheepish. 

“Well you’re going to have to.” Sirius said sternly. 

“Hey, easy there Sirius, Peter doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. However, there’s probably a spell we can use to keep the leaf in your mouth by sticking it to the roof of your mouth or something.” Remus offered. 

“Exactly.” James nodded. “The only, perhaps, slightly odd thing will be that it may be difficult to talk. People will definitely notice that.”

“You could say you have a sore throat?” Sirius said. They were walking out of the classroom now, uncharacteristically the last to leave and oblivious to McGonagall watching them with the distinct feeling she’d done something that would cause serious repercussions to the future. Once they had left she just sighed and thought to herself that nothing she would ever be able to do would stop those four boys from doing anything. 

“A sore throat… for a month?” James looked at him skeptically. 

“What about all that weird stuff we need though too? That’s going to be impossible to get.” Peter said, he looked nervous and Remus could tell he was definitely having second thoughts. 

“Hogwarts grounds probably has most of it and there’s nothing stopping us sneaking into Slughorn’s cupboards.” Sirius shrugged. 

“You know you don’t have to do this.” Remus said after a while, he felt increasingly guilty as the logistics of becoming Animagi were shown to be almost unmanageable. 

“Don’t be stupid Remus! We want to do it! How badass will it be when we can turn into all of these cool animas just like that!” James said, clicking his fingers to indicate him transforming into an animal. 

Sirius was frowning at him too. “What is it? Don’t you think we can do it?”

“It’s a lot of effort.” Remus said weakly. 

“And so is your furry little problem every month.” James said. It was a euphemism he’d recently taken to when addressing Remus being a werewolf that never failed to make Remus smile. 

“We’re going to do this Remus, even if it takes us years and years.” Sirius promised. Remus beamed at them all but noticed Peter giving a small sigh. 

“Oh, alright then.” Peter then decided, looking warily at his friends. 

“Good man Petey, I knew you’d come round.” James clapped him on the back. 

Thankfully Transfiguration was their last lesson of the day. The boys were therefore very slowly making their way to the Gryffindor common room. They hadn’t even made it to the Grand Staircase before James dramatically stopped them all by sticking out his arm. “Look who it is.” He whispered excitedly. 

“Snivillus.” Sirius said with glee. Severus Snape had adopted the name Snivillus not long into his second term at Hogwarts after getting into a ferocious argument with James about who was better at Quidditch. Snape had certainly come off worse in the argument too, especially since not long after James was named Chaser of the Gryffindor team and Snape gave up Quidditch altogether.

Sure enough Severus Snape had just turned the corner and was heading their way. He was a sallow boy with unfortunately greasy hair and a large nose that looked like it had been broken, all of which didn’t help with the almost relentless teasing from James and Sirius. He tried to give it back as much as he received but the truth of the matter was that James and Sirius were simply too witty for him to keep up. Them working together against Snape led to him standing with next to no chance of success every time. 

“Bloody hell, he’s with Evans again.” James said, his eyes narrowing while his tone turned angry. Lily had been apparently friends with Snape since they were children and despite being in opposing houses remained good friends. James wasn’t the only one, however, who couldn’t understand the friendship; in fact, both Lily and Snape’s other friends didn’t understand it either. 

Snape and Lily were talking animatedly as they walked and hadn’t even noticed the four boys. Snape rarely looked either happy or excited but when he was with Lily anyone with eyes could see he practically became a different person. James envied his relationship with Lily almost more than anything. Remus felt sure that it was the reason he hated Snape so much. That, and perhaps Snape’s uncanny resistance to retaliate every time James or Sirius started something with him.

Remus knew the routine by then but still felt it necessary to hurriedly whisper to James and Sirius, “please don’t do anything stupid, you’re already both in detentions this week. Lily won’t be impressed with you either James.” 

“Who cares?” James muttered back, his eyes fixed on Snape. Despite James obviously having some kind of crush on Lily it wasn’t enough to stop him from picking on Snape and Lily detested him for it. Remus sighed. 

“Alright Snivellus? Evans?” James said, rearranging his expression to a convincing smirk at the pair of them. He was taller than Snape and both took full advantage of it as well as relished in it. 

“Ignore him Sev.” Lily said but Snape had already stopped in his tracks and was glaring back at James. 

“‘Ignore him Sev’” Sirius mimicked in a high, affected voice. Remus couldn’t help rolling his eyes. It was so childish and repetitive Remus was sure an interaction exactly the same as that one had happened at least three times before this one. 

“What have you too been up to then? Has Evans been trying to persuade you to wash your hair Snivellus?” James said. 

“Shut up.” Snape said, his jaw clenched. Remus could see his hand in his pocket reaching for his wand. He knew it was going to end badly. Lily caught his eye, clearly thinking the same but neither of them felt like they could do much about it. 

“It’s reached critical levels of grease now Snivillus.” Sirius added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d be able to cook a fry up with it all.” James laughed loudly with Peter chiming in too. 

“I swear if you say another word I’ll curse you.” Snape had finally drawn his wand and was trying to look threatening as he held it up but everyone could see his hand trembling. 

“Sev stop!” Lily tried to force Snape’s arm down. 

“Lily.” Snape said in a warning voice. 

“Oh yeah you listen to her Snivellus, I’m really scared.” Sirius said sarcastically. “You’re such a dark and powerful wizard, Merlin knows what you’re capable of.”

“Petrificus totalus!” Cast Snape, directing the spell at the boys. Peter immediately hid to the side of the corridor but there was so need as with a lazy flick of his wand James said calmly, “expelliarmus,” rebounding the spell. Snape’s wand flew several metres away from him. 

“Enough now.” Remus said to his two friends but he doubted either of them heard him. 

“Is that all you’ve got? That’s second year stuff Snivellus honestly I knew you were bad at defense but I didn’t realise you were that bad.” James laughed with mirth. 

“Wingardium Leviosa!” Sirius shouted, forcing Snape into the air, his arms groping for something to hold onto, his legs looking like he was running on the spot. “You know what to do Jamie.” Sirius grinned at him. 

“Wingardium Leviosa? You hypocrite! That’s a first year spell!” Lily shouted, looking up horrified up at Snape.

“Ah, just you wait and see Evans.” James said and then lifted his wand again. “Orbis!” He shouted. 

Suddenly a bright blue whirlwind shot at Snape, encasing him in its light, emitting blue sparks as it did. 

“Stop this! Lupin please stop them!” Lily was shouting, running over to them to save herself from being caught up in the spell. Remus quite agreed as he moved back from the explosive whirlwind happening just in front it him. He knew, however, what had been done was done. There was nothing he could do. Instinctively he grabbed Sirius’s free hand to pull him back too. 

Peter had long since ran away to shield himself from the spell. The four of them, James, Sirius, Remus and Lily, all stood watching the spell do its work. Their hair was flying back around their heads while their faces were illuminated by the shine of the spell.

“The spell won’t hurt him Lily!” Was all Remus could offer, shouting to her over the wind to be heard. 

The burst of light was gradually pulling Snape closer and closer to the ground. Remus knew what was going to happen next and was thankful they were in fact on the ground floor of the school. The whirlwind drew to the the ground and a loud crack of the stone breaking was heard over the noise of both Snape screaming his head off and the rushing noise of the spell. 

Not before long the spell had caused a huge hole in the ground, pulling Snape into it. The spell only decimated once Snape was up to his ears buried in the earth. The azure light vanished and all was left was grey stone everywhere and Snape, bright red in the face, his head sticking out of the floor surrounded by a mound of dried dirt. 

James and Sirius immediately burst into laughter, bucked over, as Lily rushed to her friend’s aid. 

“Oh Merlin what have you done?” Remus said whispered but no one heard him. Peter was still hiding behind the cabinet further down the corridor. 

“Lighten up Remus!” Said Sirius, tears even in his eyes from laughing so much. He then noticed their entwined hands and with equally wide eyes they both immediately pulled thir hands away. 

Turning completely away from Sirius, while blushing, Remus said, “you can come out now Peter!” Peter slowly, cautiously, walked back over to them. 

“You two are going to be in so much trouble.” Lily whipped her head around to them, looking absolutely furious. Snape simply looked dumb-struck, unable to form any noise. 

“What’s new Evans?” James said to her, looking proudly down at his work. 

“Oh my!” Came a small, surprised voice from behind the boys. Remus just closed his eyes. A teacher was bound to come along at some point, luckily it was only Professor Flitwick. 

“What in Merlin’s name has happened here?” He walked forward, around Remus and his friends, over to Snape and crouched down to get a look at him. “Mr. Snape? Is that you?” He squeaked, sounding very shocked. 

“Yes Professor.” Snape muttered, his face still flushed red with embarrassment, his eyes downcast. 

“Well how did you end up down there?” Flitwick asked, nonplussed. Out of the corner of Remus’s eye he saw James and Sirius break out into almost identical grins. 

“It was those two Professor.” Lily pointed at them. “James Potter and Sirius Black.” 

Flitwick turned around to look at the boys up and down. “Well yes Miss Evans, I rather guessed they had something to do with this already. Anyway,” Flitwick straightened up, “Let’s get you out of here.” He said to Snape. He then lifted his wand and said, “ascendio!”

Snape shot out of the ground at a great speed and landed rolling onto his back, panting. He was filthy, his mostly shredded and ruined clothes were covered in dirt. 

“At least he’s finally got an excuse to have a wash now.” Sirius whispered to James causing him to break out in muffled laughter. 

“This is no laughing matter boys; I can tell you’ve casted the Orbis Jinx.” Flitwick said sternly to them. “I’m giving you two weeks of detention for this and taking thirty points from Gryffindor.” Lily was staring at James and Sirius so intently Remus didn’t understand how they weren’t cowering under the weight of her glare.

“Sir, we already have detention this week.” James said, a hint of pride in his voice that Remus wished wasn’t there.

“Well your detention with me can start the beginning of next week so, don’t worry, you’ll still get your two weeks worth.” Flitwick eyed them pointedly. “Now,” he turned to Snape and Lily, “you ought to go to the Hospital Wing just to be sure there’s nothing wrong with you Mr. Snape, Lily if you’d be so kind to take him?”

Lily and Snape then slowly walked off with Lily’s arm wrapped around Snape’s shoulder to support him. 

“He’ll be in there for the rest of the year if Madame Pomfrey has to sort out everything wrong with him.” James whispered to Sirius once Flitwick’s back was turned once more. Sirius had to cover his mouth to stop himself from breaking out into laughter yet again.

Then, with another flick of Flitwick’s wand, the mess that James’s spell had made with the floor had reversed to its previous state, without a speck of dirt to suggest it had been any other way. 

Flitwick finally turned back to them, immediately Sirius and James’s expressions transformed into those of two boys who were ashamed of what they’d just done and were sincerely sorry. 

“I’ll be telling your Head of House about this boys, honestly, fighting in the corridors? You should know better by now; you’re setting a dreadful example to younger years.” Flitwick said eyeing them all. He then sighed deeply. “You know what? Off you go I don’t have anything else to say to you. Just go straight back to your common room otherwise there will be serious consequences.” Flitwick then walked off, distinctly in he direction of McGonagall’s office. 

Sirius looked at his friends once Flitwick left. “Bad example? Us? What in Merlin’s name is he talking about?” He said, feigning confusion. 

“Why do you two always, every bloody time, end up in detention while Snape’s left in the Hospital Wing?” Remus said, started them off walking again. 

“You’re right Remus, it’s very repetitive. Once Snivellus graduates to being able to properly cast a spell the real fun will start.” James said. 

“You’re ridiculous, the pair of you.” Remus shook his head exasperatedly. 

“It was pretty cool though.” Peter said, full of admiration. 

“Although I’m not entirely convinced you saw a thing of it Peter, thank you all the same, I’m glad someone appreciates us.” Sirius said, raising his eyebrows at Remus. 

“Where did you even learn how to do that spell?” Peter asked. 

“Want to tell him?” Sirius said to Remus. 

Remus sighed. “I told them about it. It was a few months ago; I didn’t think you’d actually use it on anyone.” Remus then said looking exasperated at James and Sirius.

“It’s a wicked spell, we couldn’t not use it on him!” James reasoned. 

“It’s meant for putting large plants in soil! People generally use it if they’re gardening!” Remus said, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Do you have any other cool and dramatic spells we can use against Snivellus, Remus?” Sirius asked, ignoring Remus and trying to sound innocent but knowing full well what answer he would get.

“Most certainly not!” Remus looked at him like he was crazy, Sirius loved seeing Remus like this, it was the only time he would ever raise his voice. “How you even remembered me talking about it I’ll never know! I only mentioned it backhandedly!”

“You have such little faith in our listening skills Remus, honestly.” James said. They were finally at the Grand Staircase and James was swinging off the banister.

“Please stop that James.” Remus said weakly. He didn’t want to shout at them anymore, even though there was no anger in his words he tried to stop them from doing stupid things out of habit. Similar events happened almost every other day.

Despite what came along, however, with being best friends with the people he was, including fairly regular detentions by mere affiliation with them, Remus wouldn’t trade them for the world. They were determined to become Animagi just for him, willing to go through the almost laughably complex process to prevent Remus attacking himself instead of other people. He could never stay angry with them more more than a few minutes.

Seeing James and Sirius, followed by Peter, then start to race up the staircase to see who’d get to the top first only made Remus start to run after them himself. He couldn’t help it; despite their faults and the trouble that always seemed to follow them, they were his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter! The next update should be up soon too. Please remember to leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you like the story so far! xoxoxo


	4. Forth Year 1974 Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas! Remus and Sirius buy some clothes and then the boys make advances in becoming Animagi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoy this chapter - the first real hints at a bit of Remus/Sirius! It was super fun to write them buying clothes together, we all know Sirius is such a fashion icon!

“What d’you think?” Sirius leapt out from behind the changing room curtains in Gladrags Wizard Wear theatrically holding out his arms like a showman addressing his audience, except his audience was Remus Lupin.

Sirius had dragged Remus into the shop while James and Peter went to the Post Office to send some Christmas presents home. Remus would have protested if he hadn’t recently been feeling very oddly towards his best friend, butterflies in the stomach whenever they touched, unnecessary blushing and awkwardness; the lot really.

Sirius had emerged from the curtains dressed truly to the nines. Remus couldn’t help but smile. Sirius had not long since gotten his eyebrow pierced so with that and him adorned in a black leather jacket covered in safety pins, a muggle band t-shirt and tight jeans with rips at the knees, he looked totally in his element. 

“Moony?” Sirius prompted, using his latest nickname to address Remus, waving his hands about dramatically.

“Sorry, I was just taking it all in.” Remus laughed and gestured vaguely to Sirius.

“What do you mean by that?” Sirius whined, frowning.

“Nothing, nothing. Honestly Sirius you look wicked.” Remus said, Sirius looked mollified, but only slightly so Remus added, “You look like someone straight out of… what’s that place again… Camden!”

“Thanks Moony, much better.” Sirius nodded seriously at Remus for a moment but couldn’t hold it for long and grinned at him after.

“Going to buy them then?” Remus asked, flicking through some shirts on a rack.

“I didn’t illegally take money out of my parents’ vault for nothing Moony!” Sirius smiled when Remus looked at him disapprovingly. “Besides,” Sirius added, “It’s not like my parents are going to get me anything for Christmas, I’m thinking of it more as a self-present. You wouldn’t want me to wake up on Christmas Day with nothing to my name would you?”

“We’re all giving each other presents remember?” Remus rolled his eyes. “Talking of getting each other presents, have you bought yours yet?” Remus asked. 

“’Course I have, who do you take me for? I’m anything but a last minute Christmas present buyer.” Sirius said, examining a suede jacket.

“What have you got James?” Remus asked. 

“Hair products, you know, some wax and mousse.” Sirius shrugged.

“Why the pair of you are so bloody obsessed with your hair I’ll never know.” Remus rolled his eyes.

Sirius smiled fondly at him. “Oh Moony,” he said, “you don’t get hair as luscious as mine without taking good care of it. We’re not all as lucky as you.” Remus blushed at that last comment. “What did you get him?” Sirius asked.

Remus bit his lip and sad; “this book called ‘A Guide to Charm A Witch’s Heart’.” Sirius began to laugh loudly.

“No! Stop! I’m worried he’s going to be offended by it. I thought it might help the never ending Lily problem and maybe even stop him being a prat to Snape to show off in front of her.” Remus said.

“Bloody hell that’s a lot of expectations on one book, Moony I hate to break it to you but it would take a miracle and Merlin himself to stop all that.” Sirius said.

“Do you think he’ll be angry if that’s what I give him though, I feel like it would be doing something along the lines of buying Snape a bottle of shampoo for Christmas.” Remus said causing Sirius to once again burst into fits of laughter.

“Moony, please, you’re killing me! I need to actually do that; we’re going to get some as soon as we leave here.” Sirius said.

“Sirius, please, James!” Remus reminded him.

“Oh, right, sorry, yeah he’d probably treat it like Merlin’s ancient scriptures, follow it word for word and be able to quote it by January the first. It’ll be added to his special Lily shrine in no time.” Sirius reassured. 

“You sure?” Remus said uncertainly.

“Yes Moony, I’m sure. You always give the best presents anyway.” Sirius said. “For that matter what have you got Peter? I haven’t got him a single thing.” 

“So much for ‘I’m anything but a last minute Christmas present buyer’.” Remus teased. 

“He’s bloody difficult to buy for!” Sirius said.

“No he’s not!” Laughed Remus.

“Well what did you get him? Or is it a secret?” Sirius said sarcastically.

“Don’t be silly. You’re just jealous I’ve managed to get him something and you haven’t” Remus said in a tone of superiority even though he was joking.

“Just tell me.” Sirius complained. 

“Food you utter and complete nit-wit!” Remus said and watched Sirius realise he’d missed the one thing their friend Peter had any real passion for.

“Oh yeah, forgot about that…” Said Sirius.

“Clearly.” Remus raised his eyebrows at him and shook his head.

“Right, after buying Snivillus some shampoo we’re then going to Honeydukes.” Sirius said.

“Oh fine.” Remus sighed. He knew if it was up to Sirius they’d spend the whole day shopping in Hogsmeade, however they had a job to do really. 

“Right, are you going to buy that?” Sirius said, indicating at the canary yellow button-down shirt Remus was holding.

“This?” Remus said sounding bewildered as he looked down at what was in his hands.

“Yeah, it looks like it would look good on you.” Sirius nodded. 

“Sirius,” Remus smiled sweetly but sarcastically, “I really don’t think so.”

“Come off it Moony just try it on, you look like a grandpa with your knitted cardigan.” Sirius leant over to feel the material of Remus’s cardigan. “It’s so itchy I don’t know how you can stand it.”

Remus blushed. “I wear a shirt underneath it, you idiot. Besides, I don’t know what you’re talking about, you steal my cardigans all the time!”

“I do not!” Sirius said, pretending to be outraged as he clutched his heart as though he’d been wounded.

“You do too!” Remus said.

“I’ll admit I do if you try on that shirt?” Sirius offered. 

Remus scowled at him as he stormed into one of the changing rooms in the small shop. “I’m only doing this for my personal satisfaction that you like my cardigans and often take them, not for yours!” Remus called from behind the curtain.

“Of course you are Moony!” Sirius said back, Remus could practically hear him grinning. “I’ll be in the changing room next to you, I need to take these clothes of so I can pay for them.” Sirius said.

Remus, much to his annoyance, put on the light yellow shirt and buttoned it up. It was huge and he felt ridiculous. He stared unimpressed at the mirror for so long Sirius had finished getting dressed again and was out of the cubical before he was. Even the mirror was getting bored of him and told him to get a move on and show his friend the shirt. 

“How aren’t you done yet?” Sirius said with disbelief. “Come on Moony!”

“Alright! Alright! I’m coming!” Remus scowled at the mirror who just tutted at him as he turned his back to it to leave. 

“I look like I’m wearing a nightshirt from the Victorian Era.” Said Remus flatly as he left the changing room. He was fully expecting Sirius to laugh when he saw him and was surprised when Sirius looked at his shirt like he was analysing it.

“No it doesn’t…” Sirius said slowly but he then looked up at Remus and said, “you’re just wearing it wrong that’s all.” 

Remus had no idea what he was talking about and that must have translated to his face as Sirius then instructed, “first, tuck it in and then roll the sleeves up to your elbows.” Remus did as he was told.

Sirius then looked it him for a short while after before saying, “nearly there, you just need to…” but he leaned over and did whatever he envisioned himself. He gently pulled the shirt out a couple of inches from where Remus had tucked it into his jeans causing all the butterflies in Remus’s stomach to go on a rampage. He then stepped back, eyed the shirt and said, “perfect. Go look for yourself if you don’t believe me.” 

Remus turned back to the mirror and gave himself an inspection. The shirt certainly looked better than how Remus wore it before, that was undeniable. He still, however, wasn’t sure about it. He didn’t think he’d be able to pull it off. 

“So?” Sirius said, peering over Remus’s shoulder on his tip-toes. “You like?”

“I don’t really think it’s for me…” Remus said.

“Don’t be dense Remus, you look good.” Sirius nodded, looking impressed even which was what confused Remus the most. “Really good actually.” Sirius added almost to himself, his cheeks unmistakably flushing. 

“He’s right you know! I could just eat you up!” The mirror added in, cutting through Remus’s thoughts of Sirius. The mirror had a woman’s voice and a Southern American accent. Remus felt like rolling his eyes at both of them. 

“Tell you what, I’ll buy it for you.” Sirius said. 

“No! Sirius, really, there’s no need! I wasn’t even going to buy it myself!” Remus immediately protested, turning round to face Sirius properly rather than looking at him from the mirror.

“All the more reason for me to get it for you.” Shrugged Sirius. “I can think of several reasons why it’s a good idea.”

“Enlighten me because I can’t.” Remus folded his arms.

“Well, most importantly, you look super cute in that shirt and if I buy it for you you’ll have to wear it often to be polite. Another reason is that I have cash to splash my friend and the more of it I spend the angrier my parents will get with me. Finally, you can think of it as a Christmas present.” Sirius shrugged.

“You haven’t got me anything else?” Remus said, considering Sirius’s offer if it was for a Christmas present.

“Sure I have but I can get you another one.” Sirius said.

“Sirius! The only rule was one present per person! Trust you to try and break it!” Remus frowned.

“So what? The others won’t care! Anyways I got James two different types of hair products and I’m not going to buy Peter one single piece of chocolate I’m going to buy him several, which I’m sure you already have.” Argued Sirius.

“You’re just being pedantic now.” Muttered Remus but turned away to take off the shirt for Sirius to buy either way.

“Thank you dear!” Called Sirius.

Not before long Sirius was handing over a handful of galleons to the shop assistant and they left the shop together, carrying a bag of clothes each, out into the blisteringly cold weather.

“I bloody hate Scotland!” Shouted Sirius out to the empty streets of Hogsmeade making Remus laugh, it was clearly too treacherous for even any of the locals to venture outside.

They walked in the direction of the Post Office, not before making a quick trip to Honeydukes for Sirius to get Peter a present. Whether Sirius had forgotten about buying Snape’s shampoo or not, Remus certainly wasn’t going to remind him. Finally, instead, they went it to the Post Office where they had arranged to meet James and Peter.

“Finally!” James shouted, sounding exasperated, when they walked in. “We’ve been waiting for absolutely bloody ages! What were you doing? Nipped into the Hog’s Head for a drink?”

“No?” Sirius said, looking confused. “We were buying clothes James, you knew that.”

James just rolled his eyes. “Peter and I have been standing in here looking like right pillocks haven’t we?” Peter nodded earnestly. “The crazy owl man has asked us if we wanted to feed his birds four times now.”

They all began to walk out of the shop as Remus and Sirius laughed at James. “I can’t tell if that’s a very strange innuendo or not…” Sirius said once they were outside, finally bringing a reluctant smile to James’s face.

“Enough of the owl man, I never want to think about him again. We really do need to get a move on with this though.” James said, making his way to the footpath which led to the forest on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. That day they were going to try and collect an ingredient they needed for each of their phials to become Animagi. They were going to the forest to attempt in collecting dew that hadn’t seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days.

“Have you got the phials and corks Moony?” Asked Sirius, to which Remus nodded.

They were going to the forest in Hogsmeade partly because someone was bound to see them leave the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts but also partly because the forest at their school had little grass dew may settle on whereas in Hogsmeade there was much more that managed to grow despite the trees there that shielded it from the sun. They also reasoned that it was unlikely for any human feet to have touched it on account of the fact it was freezing outside. The only thing they could get wrong was if the dew had been there for less than seven days. Of course they hoped it hadn’t but there was no promising it.

“Okay guys, we’re going to collect this dew today but of course it’s no problem if it doesn’t work because we can always order some from the Apothecary down Diagon Alley.” James said, trying to sound positive.

“Isn’t it incredibly expensive to buy though?” asked Peter, James clenched his jaw.

“I could have sworn as well that if we got this bit wrong and added the dew we’d have to start from scratch again?” Sirius said. James looked as though he was going to properly loose his temper but Sirius just unknowingly carried on talking. “I swear on Merlin’s grave if I have to try and keep a bloody Mandrake leaf in my mouth for a whole month again I’ll kill myself.”

Sirius had been the worst out of the lot of them at keeping the leaf in his mouth, he just kept on swallowing it in his sleep. By the time he finally managed the job he must have eaten all the leaves of around six or seven Mandrakes. James kept telling him he’d turn into a Mandrake if he carried on and Professor Sprout, who was a new Herbology teacher at Hogwarts, made an official announcement at dinner one evening asking the students who kept trimming her precious Mandrakes to turn themselves in.

Peter, not too surprisingly did it on his first go. He didn’t talk nearly as much as his friends was his explanation for managing to do it. James wasn’t to bad either; it took him three goes to get it right. The first two were ruined by him laughing so hard that the leaf, much to the horror of the people whom he was with, flew right out of his mouth. Remus, on the other hand, had never in his life been so thankful that he was a werewolf.

“Alright, well Sirius, you better pray to God and Heaven above that all the dew in this forest has been there for at least a week and that there isn’t some weirdo in Hogsmeade who likes to take long walks naked as the day he, or she, was born.” James finally said, picking up the pace as he did. 

They walked on and on through the forest that was full of lots of pine trees until they found a rather large patch of grass which had been totally shaded by the sun from all directions by a fallen tree to its left and a large trunk to its right. 

“This is perfect.” James declared when they spotted it. They all hurried over, stopping short of the grass itself, and huddled around it, peering closely. Sure enough there were large droplets of dew clinging to the ends of the grass. 

“Dear Merlin please let you be seven days old.” Sirius whispered as though talking to the dew, which for all Remus knew he could have been. 

“Okay Remus, you’re the most trusted here, you collect the dew.” James said. 

Remus knew this was coming, he knew it from the moment James had conspicuously asked him a week or so ago if he still had those phials Sirius had stolen from Potions. 

Remus took the phials, corks and not to mention candles to use for wax to seal them, out of his bag. He gave the corks for Sirius to hold, the candles to Peter and all but one of the phials to James. He then told them all to give him some space which they did so without a word. 

Then, with a remarkably steady hand, Remus took the first phial, crouched down and tipped it to the edge of a single blade of grass until the globule of water residing on the grass slid down to the bottom of the phial. Barely enough of the drop made it to the bottom because so much of it was used in the track it made down the glass. All the boys in that moment realised it would take a long time to get a decent amount of the dew in three separate phials. 

It was dark by the time all the phials had enough water in them. Peter had been given the task of using ‘lumos’ on his wand to help Remus. Sirius had long since given up on worrying about how old the dew was and was being such a nuisance James had to tell him to shut up once every few minutes. 

Eventually all the corks had been put in and Remus, as carefully as collecting the dew, lit his wand and set it to the candle which he held to the part of the cork where it met the glass and sealed each one. 

“Remus, you absolute legend.” Whispered James as he held only his phial like it meant the world to him. 

Remus just yawned. He’d concentrated for so long he barely had the energy to talk. 

“We should probably get back. If anyone sees us heading back this late we’ll be skinned alive.” Peter say. Everyone agreed with him. They were all freezing cold and starving hungry. No one wanted to think that they might have done it all wrong, or that one of the droplets Remus collected had been exposed to a slither of sunlight. It simply wasn’t worth entertaining when they were all so tired of the ridiculous steps they had to follow in becoming Animagi. 

They then began the long walk back to the castle, none of them thinking with any real concern about the consequences they might end up in for what they did. They went the whole way walking side by side in a row, all in utter silence. Not even Sirius had a word to say.

It was only when they got to the front steps of Hogwarts, James with his wand out ready to see if ‘Alohomora’ would work, when the doors swung open not only almost blinding the boys with the light from inside but to reveal a furious looking Professor McGonagall. 

She was standing looking down on them wearing a tartan dressing gown, her long brown hair plaited down her back instead of tied up in a bun, with her hands on her hips. Her lips were so pursed they were barely visible. 

Remus could hardly believe his eyes as his jaw dropped in shock. He couldn’t blame Sirius either for saying, “shitting hell!” Under his breath. 

“You’d better come in.” McGonagall said, her voice so eerily calm it sent chills down Remus’s spine. The four of them followed her into a room just off the main entrance that led to the Grand Hall. 

“Sit.” She instructed, pointing to the chairs in the room. “I’m not going to shout at you for this now boys, I’m far too tired, but mark my words I will when the sun comes back up again.” McGonagall said. The boys sat down but were all too shocked and tired to react in any way themselves. 

“What you have done tonight is inexcusable. Not only have you drastically failed to return to school within the curfew but you’ve somehow managed to conceal yourself from the people we’ve had looking for you.” McGonagall continued. “I’ll be back with Professor Dumbledore in a few minutes. He’ll want to see you’re okay before you go off to bed. None of you are to move from your seats.” With that she left the room. 

“We’re really in for it this time.” Peter whispered. 

“It’s all good stuff Petey, don’t worry.” Sirius whispered back. “I bet we’re going to get detentions for the rest of the year, at least 200 points docked off Gryffindor and an owl back home.”

Remus cared next to nothing about any of those things in that moment. He was practically falling asleep in his chair. 

James broke the silence again by chuckling to himself. “Oi, Sirius, maybe we would have made it back to Hogwarts on time if you hadn’t spent so bloody long in that shop.” 

“Wait ‘till you see my jacket though Jamie, you’ll understand it’s worth it.” Sirius said back. 

Silence engulfed them once more but Remus slid James a look and could tell he was still deep in concentration. 

“I’ve just had an thought.” James said finally, sounding excited. 

“Don’t strain yourself.” Sirius yawned. 

“You know those secret passages we found ages ago Sirius?” James said, ignoring Sirius’s comment. 

“What ones?” Asked Peter. 

“There’s that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy and another behind the tapestry with the red vines on the second floor too.” James told Peter. 

“The thing is,” James confined, “I bet there’s loads more, and I bet there’s at least one or two that lead out into Hogsmeade.”

“There is.” Remus said, his voice horse. “I told you about it. I use it when I go to the Shrieking Shack.”

“See! God this is perfect!” James was really getting excited now. “This can’t keep on happening when we’re sneaking around Hogwarts and elsewhere. My dad’s cloak only helps so much, especially because we’ve all grown since first year too!”

“I’m lost Jamie, what are you saying?” Sirius said dozily. 

“I’m saying,” James took a deep breath, maybe for dramatic effect. “We need to make a map, the ultimate map of Hogwarts that show just everything!”

“How to get in and out, all its secrets.” Sirius said, finally catching on. 

“Yes!” James said, beaming. “If we’re feeling particularly clever I bet we could figure out how to even charm it to show everyone who’s in the castle and where they are in it!”

“This is genius!” Sirius grinned. 

Remus somewhere in the back of his head thought it was a fantastic idea too but he hardly had time to express it because his brain and his mouth weren’t really working in sync at that time. The other thing stopping him was because the door just opened again allowing McGonagall to walk back in, looking as stern as ever, followed by Dumbledore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! The next chapter should be up really soon! I hoped you liked the build up to the Marauder’s Map at the end, as well as Remus’s adorable crush on Sirius! Xxxx
> 
> Don’t forget to leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you liked this chapter! <3


	5. Fifth Year 1976 Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about the Marauders finishing the insane challenges they had set themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This is quite a long chapter because it's split into two different parts of Remus's fifth year at Hogwarts. I really hope you enjoy it as I really loved writing this chapter! xoxoxo <3
> 
> (warning: this chapter is where the slightly excessive swearing begins and has as one homophobic slur in it)

It was late at night and Remus, James, Sirius and Peter had just managed to sneak out, mostly concealed by James invisibility cloak. They made their way, almost obnoxiously sure that they wouldn’t be caught, to the Great Hall. 

“Hopefully after tonight we’ll be doing this every month Moony, therefore there’s no point in worrying about it.” Sirius reminded Remus much to his dismay. 

Clashing thunder echoed around the empty room which seemed even bigger when there was only four people in it. The reverberations of the noise seemed to travel up and down the whole room like people were banging drums. Lighting, every so often, brightly illuminated the room around them. The time had finally come for James, Sirius and Peter to see if all their work had paid off in them becoming Animagi. 

Remus felt as though his heart was in his throat. He knew of the disastrous consequences that could arise from doing the process wrong. Baring that in mind he said to his best friends, “you can still back out you know, all of you,” as they stood in a row looking out onto the hall they’d spent so many hours in. 

There was silence. Then James took a small phial out of his pocked containing exactly a disheveled Mandrake leaf, one of his hairs, a teaspoon of dew and a chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawk Moth. “Remus,” James moved so he was standing exactly in front of his friend, “we have gone over this potion and everything in it countless times. We’ve even repeated parts of it just in case we got it wrong the first time. We’ll be fine.” Remus nodded, feeling guilty nonetheless. 

“Aside from that, you know why we’re doing this. We want to help you. You can’t keep on going out and doing what you do each month.” Sirius reminded him quietly. 

Every time Remus went out to transform each month he came back in a worse state than the time before. The amount of times Remus had to, in his eyes shamefully, come back to his room and be practically nursed by his friends was embarrassing. 

During those dark nights it was usually just one person who he truly trusted to help him and not pity him and he was Sirius. He was the best at dressing injuries too, both from experience in his own reckless behaviour and from growing up in a household like he had done. 

Remus would return as quietly as he could, often limping, into their dormitory. He never asked Sirius to wait up for him but every month he would do. As soon as Remus would enter the room they’d lock eyes immediately, Remus’s bloodshot ones hitting Sirius’s ones full of concern. James and Peter would be fast asleep on either side of Remus. 

Sirius would get up and lead Remus, sometimes when necessary with an arm wrapped around his shoulders, to the dormitory bathroom. They would sit in that room together in silence, Remus on the tiled floor, Sirius next to him. They’d barely talk because they wouldn’t need to. Sirius would dress whatever wounds Remus would acquire and often after that was done they’d just sit together. Sometimes staying awake to watch the sun rise over the highlands but sometimes falling asleep on top of each other. Remus’s head on Sirius’s lap, Sirius’s fingers laced in Remus’s hair. 

Over the past nearly four years they had prepared for this moment. The moment when Sirius wouldn’t have to wait up worrying each night that Remus might not come back because instead he would be with him to protect him. The atmospheric electric storm going on around them and the fact they were standing alone, at night, in a room they’d known to fit hundreds all made it feel like some kind of dream. 

“I think we should maybe stand back from each other, I don’t know, just in case?” Sirius said uncharacteristically quiet. He too had his phial clutched in his fist. 

“Good idea.” Peter said, looking scared but nodding nonetheless. 

All their voices were echoing ominously around the room and the relentless thunder from above didn’t help either. Remus just felt helpless. If something did go wrong not only would he lose the people who mattered most to him but he would never be able to forgive himself either. 

Sirius looked at Remus just as their two other friends began spread themselves out around the hall. Remus simply couldn’t help himself, he launched himself into Sirius’s arms and found Sirius gripping back just as tightly. “You’ll be fine. I promise.” Remus whispered, his breath hitting Sirius’s neck and making his knees feel weak.

They shortly after let go of each other and Sirius gave Remus a curt nod before finding a spot away from anyone himself. 

“On the count of three we say the incantation and drink it?” James called. Remus had his back to the doors of the hall, he thought he was going to be sick. His eyes couldn’t seem to stop flicking back and forth between his friends. 

“Sure!” Sirius shouted back. 

“Look sharp then boys! One, two, three!” James shouted.  
“Amato Animo Animato Animagus!” All of them shouted in unison, their wands placed over their hearts. 

Then each of them together knocked the contents of the vial back down their throats. Then a bright golden glow, almost like a halo, surrounded the three of them each. All of them broke out into immensely relieved laughter, including Remus. 

James, as it turned out, was the first to transform. It happened over a matter of a few seconds. One moment he was James, the next moment he was a great stag with brilliant ochre fur covering him, not to mention a magnificent pair of antlers. Sirius’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit!” He said. “James has done it! Moony look! James has fucking done it! Peter look at James! He’s a fucking stag!”

Peter however had seemed to have disappeared. “Where’s Peter?” Sirius said, his tone dropping low. 

Remus squinted from where he was, trying desperately to catch sight of something, anything. For all he could know Peter could have turned into this dreadful half-human half-animal creature withering on the ground if it had gone wrong. After a few seconds, just after there was a particularly loud clash of thunder and a blinding strike of lightning, Remus could hear the sound of scratching against stone. Shortly after then he saw a rat scuttling across the floor heading straight for him. Remus sighed deeply and grinned. “Don’t worry Sirius! He’s here! I can see him! He’s a rat!”

“Thank Merlin! Wow this is incredible!” Sirius’s face was beaming again but almost just as suddenly it dropped once more. “Moony, why haven’t I changed yet?” He looked at Remus as though trying not to look scared. 

“Don’t worry Sirius! It’ll happen, it can take time to work sometimes.” Remus tried to comfort him but was feeling nervous all over again too. 

Suddenly Sirius frowned like he was concentrating on something but he then said, “wait a second! I think something’s hap-” Sirius never had time to finish his sentence because before he could he’d transformed into a great black dog, big enough to still be ferocious, right before Remus’s eyes. 

The dog lumbered over to Remus and jumped up at him, on his hind legs, his paws reaching Remus’s shoulders. Remus had long since abandoned his post by the door and had walked further forward into the hall to be closer to his friends. Sirius had since leapt down from Remus, his tail wagging fast as he ran over to James. 

James, unlike Sirius whom after giving James a sniff decided to run and leap up and down the whole length of the hall, moved with grace. His long legs took each step as though treading on ice with no intention of slipping. Slowly he made his way over to Remus who was simply unable to wipe the grin off his face. 

Remus then bent down to pick up Peter and place him on one of the tables so they could all see him better. He sat and squeaked an excited, high-pitched note repeatedly. 

When James reached the two of them he stopped and bowed his head down to them. Remus could almost hear him saying ‘look at my fucking antlers! I have antlers!’.

Remus sat on the table next to Peter with his feet up on the bench simply staring back and forth between the two of them. Eventually he shouted. “Oi! Sirius! Come here!”

Sirius, who was at the other end of the hall, came bounding over, his tongue flying around in the air. When he got to them he sat down panting. 

“This is absolutely insane. All of you! We did it! We finally did it!” Remus said to them. He tried to ignore how odd it would look if anyone walked in at that second to see him sat on his own praising a rat, dog and a stag. “If you wouldn’t mind transforming back though now... it’s a bit strange seeing you all like this... and I feel like I’m talking to myself.”

It took a few seconds, as though they were figuring out how to change back to humans themselves, but sure enough all of them morphed back to their old selves. As soon as they did, Sirius threw himself into Remus’s arms and they could hear James cheering in triumph. None of them could quite believe they’d managed it. “You were right!” Sirius whispered softly into Remus’s ear. 

“We’ve done it! Our first properly illegal act! We’ve truly made it now that every living moment of our lives we could be put in Azkaban.” James said. 

“Oh that’s really not the point.” Remus said, now feeling concerned all over again. 

“He’s joking Moony...!” Sirius grinned. Remus just rolled his eyes. Now that the three of them were unregistered Animagi James was right. 

“It it makes you feel better we promise not to transform only until you need us.” James offered. 

“Why don’t I believe you whatsoever?” Remus said. 

“Because you probably know us too well by now Moony.” Sirius grinned. Then, seemingly unable to contain himself a moment longer threw his arms around the shoulders of Remus and James and squeezing them tightly enough for Peter to start laughing at their looks of discomfort. 

 

Fifth Year 1976 Summer

 

“My God Remus,” James whispered excitedly, “I think you’ve done it! I looks perfect finally!” 

James picked up the large piece of parchment, that Remus had just cast what he hoped to be the final spell over it, and examined if for a few minutes. Remus was sat crossed-legged opposite him waiting for his verdict. They were huddled together on the floor of the library as far away from Madame Pince as possible. They’d just finished their OWL exams only a few days previously and finally with some time on their hands were making a final push with their map of Hogwarts to try and finish it before the school year ended. 

“Really?” Remus asked, his eyes wide. He’d been casting layer after layer of the Homonculous Charm over the map they’d been working on since two winters before. It had taken months for Remus to perfect the spell just to start with. He’d destroyed countless pieces of parchment along with any and all previous work the boys had done on it by any slight part of the spell he hadn’t perfected. He of course had felt immensely guilt about it when it happened but his friends were adamant he was the man to cast the spell. 

“Yes! Look here!” James flattened the great map onto the floor and jabbed two minuscule dots labelled J. Potter and R. Lupin exactly in the right place where they were sat. I. Pince was exactly where she was too. They soon also spotted S. Black and P. Pettigrew apparently running down the stairs of the boy’s dormitory of Gryffindor Common Room. 

Remus had to admit it all did look pretty up to standards. Of course it had been almost as a ridiculous task as becoming unregistered Animagi but they’d managed it too. James was grinning at Remus like it was Christmas Day. 

“You’ve fucking done it!” James said. 

Remus blushed immediately. “Don’t be silly, we’ve all done it together.”

“Moony you humble creature! Don’t be absurd! We did all the easy bits, you, my friend, did the stuff that actually made it work.” James said. 

“It wouldn’t have been much of a map if you and Padfoot hasn’t spent countless nights exploring the castle.” Remus said. 

James and Sirius had managed to explore all other three Hogwarts Common rooms in the last year and a half with the aid of James’s invisibility cloak. It had been easy work they said, all they needed to do was follow a couple of first years and slip in after them. The amount of sneaking around they did led to numerous rumours of new ghosts joining Hogwarts. It also led to the boys discovering four more secret passage ways, two of which leading to Hogsmeade. 

“And we loved every second of doing that! It was hardly a burden. Honestly Moony this is all down to you, you fucking genius!” James leapt up in his outburst. Remus winced. He knew what was most likely going to happen next. He tried to hush James but it didn’t look like anything would work. 

“We have to tell Padfoot and Wormtail, right now. We have to. Come on!” James pulled Remus up roughly by the hand. 

“Mr. Potter! For Heavens sake stop shouting! I’ve quite frankly had enough of you!” Naturally Madam Pince had stealthily made her way over to them as soon as James voice hit a normal range of decibels. “Not to mention the fact I banned you from my library after that incident in your Forth Year!” 

The said incident, or as Sirius would put it ‘The Great Library Profanity Prank’, involved James and Sirius charming hundreds of books in the library to include a highly colourful swear word before every adjective and most nouns in the whole book. It took months before a student caved in and let slip about the prank. Madam Pince had been crushed by it, not only had her precious books been defaced but her library, which had been so popular over those months suddenly, was the mockery of the whole school. 

“Never fear Irma, Remus and I are on our way out anyway.” James pushed past the librarian, barely hearing what she said but giving her a wink nonetheless. 

Remus just had time to whisper, “mischief managed,” tap the map with his wand and grab it before getting up himself. 

Madam Pince faltered at James addressing her by her name as well as the abrupt, cheeky nature he treated her with. Remus bashfully followed after his friend as he heard her splutter; “oh, well ten points off Gryffindor anyway! That’s for the noice and the utter cheek of you Mr. Potter!” 

“Hurry Moony!” James called over his shoulder to Remus who was practically jogging to keep up with him. 

“I’m trying!” Remus sighed. As shown in his role in making the map comparison to James and Sirius’s it was clear who was used to the leg work out of their friends and who wasn’t. 

“You know what though Moony?” James said, a huge grin forming on his lips again. “We never have to worry about not being able to find Padfoot again!” 

Remus gave a small laugh. “It’s one of the many perks of the Marauder’s Map.”

“Lovely touch with the name too by the way, if I may say.” James said. They were by now almost running down the halls of Hogwarts. 

“It’s my pleasure.” Remus said. 

“Honestly, I would never have thought of it, barely knew what a ‘marauder’ was before you mentioned it.” James said. 

“Well we all know I exist to be a human dictionary for all of you.” Remus said. 

“A bloody good dictionary at that Remus, don’t put yourself down.” James said. “God, Padfoot might kiss you again if you keep this up.”

“Oh don’t start that again!” Remus went red. 

“Start what? The fact that not two days ago I found yourself and Sirius Black getting off?” James asked, slightly out of breath. 

“Yes! He was pissed and so was I really. He doesn’t even remember it and it wasn’t like I started it!” Remus fought back. 

“He has a thing for you. I’m sure of it.” James said. 

“Don’t be thick Prongs!” Remus spluttered. They were running through the halls, James slightly in front. He didn’t even have time to reply to Remus because suddenly the ground beneath their feet lost all of its previous friction. 

Remus had a fraction of a second to look down to see what had happened before he fell; the floor had developed a layer of ice over the top of it. James, who was incredibly quick on his feet, immediately sensed the change and bent his knees to stabilise himself. He slid right until the end of the icy track while managing to stay on his feet throughout. 

Remus, however, was less fortunate. He went flying, skidding and falling onto his side. Like James he slipped right the way until the point where the ice stopped but he did so lacking all the grace and balance James had. 

“You alright mate?” James pulled Remus to his feet, looking bewildered around the corridor with his wand drawn.

“Yeah I think so?” Remus felt mainly confused by what had just happened. 

James was, on the other hand, one step ahead. “Come on out Snivellus, don’t be such a pussy! I didn’t realise you and your Death Eater friends were wimps.”

“Accio!” Came a voice behind the pair of them. The map, which Remus had dropped in his fall, flew from where it had been discarded into the hands of Snape who was standing looking very proud of himself. 

“Give the parchment back Snape.” Remus said as calmly as he possibly could, as though over a years worth of work hadn’t just been taken away from him the moment it had been finished. Of course on top of that it just had to be in the hands of someone who’d had something personally against James since the moment they’d met. 

“You mean this shitty piece of parchment you’ve been dragging around with you for the best part of over a year?” Snape raised his eyebrow. 

“Actually it’s been a number of different shitty pieces of parchment Snivellus,” James said, “and if you don’t give it back to me you’ll be speaking in rhyming couplets for the rest of your life; I’m sure that’ll really help with impressing Voldey.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Snape laughed. 

“Alturum Diffundere!” Shouted James. 

“Oh for goodness sake!” Remus rolled his eyes.

“What? Moony you’re meant o be on my side!” James muttered to him. “Kneazle got your tongue Snivellus?” He smirked

“Take that smile off your face.” Snape spat. 

“Go on, talk again; I want to see if it worked.” James said gleefully. 

Snape almost growled as he said; “you’re the most pathetic person in this whole place.” James burst out laughing. “Fucking hell!” Snape said. 

“Give the map back Snape and I’ll take off the spell.” Remus promised, he couldn’t even help the smile on his face though. 

“No, I want to see what’s on this paper but I know I need a spell.” Snape said, more to himself than anything. James couldn’t help breaking out into laughter again. 

“This is genius!” James said. “Moony remind me to do this to Sirius the next time he gets too excited.”

“Shut up Potter.” Snape said, glaring at him but looking down back to the map anyway. 

“As if! This day will haunt you forever Snivellus.” James said. 

“Tell me the answer.” Snape demanded simply. 

“Right and among with that I’ll help you slink your greasy self back again with Lily.” James rolled his eyes. That, however, seemed to spur Snape on more than ever. 

“Reveal your secrets.” Snape said and tapped the paper with his wand. James and Remus watched with curiosity as neither of them were entirely sure what would happen next. Slowly Snape’s face grew red, his eyes narrowed and suddenly he threw the parchment back to James. 

“You pair of complete and utter faggots.” Snape said. 

Despite the slur Remus was just happy to have the map back. He quickly cast the counter curse to James’s spell. 

“Don’t say that word you slimy fuck.” James said angrily. 

“You’re pathetic, both of you, spending all your time with that thing like it’s important or means something when all it does it that bullshit.” Snape sneered at them but quickly walked off after that, clearly disappointed with what he found and not wanting to further face the brunt of James. 

“That’s classic you know!” Shouted James after him. “You’re a fucking coward, glad to see that hasn’t changed!”

“Let him go Prongs, he’s not worth it.” Remus said gently. 

James sighed as though trying to control his anger. Then, almost looking worried, he looked down at the map once Snape had truly left but seconds later was howling with laughter. “God Moony you’ve truly outdone yourself here! When did you find the time? Pads will definitely give you a snog for this!”

Remus ignored James and frowned as he walked over to look at the map. He was surprised to find looped handwriting to have appeared over it saying:

'Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.

Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Snivellus is an ugly git.

Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever managed to get his hands on this parchment.

Mr. Wormtail bids Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.'

Remus began to laugh too. “Merlin I’d forgotten about this! It was Padfoot, of course, all his idea.” 

James took the map back off Remus and beginning to wander in the direction they were originally running to in the first place. “You’re joking? How did he manage it?” 

“I don’t know; it must be some kind of charm. I remember him telling me how he wanted to do something special just for Snape.” Remus said. 

“He’s such a thoughtful person, so considerate.” James laughed. 

Remus smiled back. Sirius was certainly creative in every aspect of his life. His fashion had since changed multiple times and come full circle back to ‘bad boy’ since that day they went shopping together. 

Last summer Sirius had finally driven his mother to her last warning regarding Sirius getting kicked out of the house: he got a tattoo. Several tattoos, in fact, all different kinds of ancient runes spreading over Sirius’s chest and bicep which made Remus’s stomach drop the first time he saw them. He could still remember Sirius’s quietly smug face when he saw Remus’s reaction. Remus could nearly feel the lump that caught in his throat when he saw the magical ink on Sirius’s body for the first time while Sirius had been changing on the first day of their fifth year. 

Remus could barely think about Sirius without blushing anymore and their end of exams party really hadn’t helped with Sirius drunkenly grabbing him and passionately pressing his lips on top of Remus’s. He had the distinct feeling the others knew about it too, James almost certainly did. James in particular was always quick to defend any slurs thrown at Remus’s way on top of this. They were commonplace around Hogwarts anyway, it didn’t necessarily typecast Remus as being gay but it obviously didn’t help. 

Sirius, on the other hand, found the slurs funny, he would tell James to leave it alone whenever he would shout at someone for it. He’d tell him they’re just jealous of the prospect Remus might be getting some over them. Remus would remind him that he wasn’t getting any anyway so that argument was besides the point. Sirius’s answer every time was just that Remus wasn’t getting any yet. 

On top of this, Remus had also come to the conclusion that either he was far too much of a wishful thinker or that Sirius had, over the past year, become ridiculously flirtatious, on top of the recent party too. It had really reached new levels, especially last Valentine’s Day. Sirius had managed to somehow hire an irritated Cupid to follow Remus around serenading him, much to his horror, for the entire day. Sure it had been a joke but it didn’t stop Sirius making ridiculous statements and pick-up lines, directed at Remus, throughout the day too. Remus’s personal favourite being ‘I’ve been whomping my willow thinking of you’ which Sirius used four times on him that day. 

“And talk of the devil, he’s right there.” Remus said, barely even surprised. 

“Wormtail was being moronic! I can’t believe you left me alone with him again!” Sirius shouted but he was grinning from the other end of the corridor. “I had absolutely no choice but to find you.”

“Hey!” Frowned Peter from next to Sirius. 

“Only joking Wormy!” Sirius laughed but mouthed to Remus while shaking his head when Peter wasn’t looking anymore ‘I’m not joking’. Remus started to laugh. 

“Your ingenious addition to the map has just proved to be truly genius Padfoot!” James called. 

“The map? It’s working?” Sirius started running over to them. 

“All thanks to Moony.” James beamed. Sirius just looked at Remus in a way that made Remus’s heart rate start beating at an unnaturally fast tempo.

“Moony I always knew you could do it!” Sirius grabbed Remus and pulled him in to hug him. 

“Yet I distinctly remember you saying last week ‘we’re never going to finish this map, I don’t think we can do this, it’s too difficult, I’ve had enough’.” Remus said from Sirius’s shoulder. 

“On the inside my faith never wavered.” Sirius said, Remus could literally feel him smiling at his neck. Remus couldn’t stand it any longer so pulled away before he did something stupid or embarrassing. He’d seen James in action long enough to know it never ended well. Ironically too, once he pulled away James was giving him a very pointed look with raised eyebrows. 

“Come on.” Remus just said briskly. “Let’s take a proper look at it together somewhere we won’t have another run in with Snape.” Remus said to his friends and began to purposefully walk on as he heard James fill in Peter and Sirius about what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I did the build up to the boys becoming Animagi and finishing the Map justice! It was quite difficult to write because although there's a lot of information available on how to become an Animagus there's not much about what actually happens when you do! I hope the way I wrote their first transformation made sense and I really hope, most of all, that you all liked it! 
> 
> On top of that I also hope you enjoyed the building Remus/Sirius relationship in the second part of the chapter!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Only two more chapters to go, followed by an epilogue!
> 
> Please leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you liked this chapter! xoxoxoxoxo


	6. Sixth Year 1977 Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be split into two parts of Remus’s Sixth year. It starts with Snape discovering something he probably wished he hadn’t and ends with Remus finally, truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter, I’d say it was my favourite to write but I still have another two planned!

It was a full moon and James was on his way down to leave the castle the same as he did every month. Peter had already transformed into a rat just to prevent James needing to fit both of them under his cloak. Neither boy had heard from Sirius all night but they assumed he had gone ahead with Remus to help him with the transformation like he usually did. 

Admittedly they were a bit late. James knew that but he couldn’t have helped it considering Lily had been so curious in the common room about where they were going. By the time they would get to the Whomping Willow Remus should have already transformed. 

James was outside in the bitterly cold air not before long. Peter changed back to his normal self once they were out and unlikely to be caught in the dark of the night, baring in mind too it was nearly impossible for James to see Peter as a rat in the dark and so the chances of James stepping on him were inconceivably high. 

“You okay Wormy?” James asked once Peter transformed back. 

“Freezing my balls off. You?” Peter answered. They both weren’t wearing more than one of Remus’s constant supplies of woollen jumpers each. It was not long into the new year and the weather was just as cold as it had been for months. James had even stolen four pick-me-up potions from the Hospital Wing especially for the occasion. It was easier to do than it sounded but nonetheless James liked to receive the exaggerated gratitude from his friends in return. 

“Yeah same.” James nodded, looking around at the darkness almost feverishly. For some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling that that night something was going to happen. 

They carried on walking in the darkness, further and further down the huge steps that lead to the Whomping Willow. “Did you see that Prongs?” Peter said, suddenly stopping in his tracks. 

James held his illuminated wand higher and squinted to where Peter was pointing. He couldn’t see anything except the vast darkness. “Are you sure you saw something?” James asked. 

“Well... I’m not sure now... I thought I did. I’m probably wrong.” Peter frowned. 

“Great. You know what? Just speak up if you see something again.” James said, making a conscious effort to tone down his sarcasm. His heart was beating hard in his chest. Trust Peter, who was terrified of everything, to have gotten James into this state within minutes of them being out. All they could do was carry on, each of them with their wands out, James being more cautious than ever before.

“Wait a second! I definitely saw something then!” Peter stopped once more, making James jump out of his skin. 

“Where? Show me?” James said madly. 

“There! It’s a person!” Peter whispered hurriedly. “I can see the light from their wand!” He pointed out further ahead of them into the darkness. Sure enough a cloaked figure was cautiously following the same path as them . “Could if be Padfoot?” Peter asked. 

“Can’t be, he’ll already be helping Remus surely.” James said, thinking fast he then said, “Okay Wormtail, I don’t mind if you transform now, I can run ahead and see who it is. I don’t mind if I get caught.”

“Are you sure Prongs?” Peter asked, looking concerned. 

“Sure as anything; don’t worry about it. I’ll have my wand on me anyway.” James said. With that Peter gave him a final nod and changed into a rat, once he did James could no longer see him but if you were going to rely on Peter for anything it would be him hiding and keeping himself out of trouble. 

James began to run as quietly as he could over the the dark figure ahead of him. He tried to keep as low as possible but he felt ridiculous doing so considering how much he’d grown in the past year. Despite this, he managed to do quite well, well enough to nearly scream in anger and frustration when he found out the person he was following was none other than Snape. 

“For fucks sake!” James muttered to himself. 

They were only a few metres away from the Whomping Willow, dangerously close for a person who didn’t know how to tame it. James was actually just about to speak up when he saw Sirius’s head poking out from the hollow in the tree. He was looking at James with a great deal of pointedness which he simply couldn’t understand. 

Then the tree exploded into action. James had only seen it happen a few times before but it wasn’t something you would forget easily. He was standing a safe distance back but Snape wasn’t so lucky. 

James heard Snape cry out in pain as one of the branches hit him squarely in the chest, flinging him backwards. 

“Snape!” Shouted James. 

“What?” Snape frowned at him from the ground looking very confused. 

“Get up you tosser, otherwise-!” James tried to warn him but it was too late. 

One of the thinner branches had snaked its way up Snape’s leg and whipped him into the air, flinging him high and swinging him about. Snape was screaming his head off but for once it wasn’t funny at all. 

“Sirius!” James shouted at the tree over the swishing of the branches. “Sirius help me!” There was no answer, no face poking out that was trying to silently tell James something. “Oh fuck, oh fuck!” James said. He needed to think. It would be nearly impossible to do what they normally did and levitate a twig to knock the small knot at the bottom of the tree to calm it down. However it seemed to be the only option James had; it was going to have to work. 

“Wingardium Leviosa!” James cast on twig upon twig. Each of his attempts weren’t working. They weren’t even getting close to the tree before the spell was overpowered by the wind or knocked out of the air by a branch. 

On his fifth attempt the tree finally let go of Snape who came crashing down to the ground. Seemingly unconscious he was in no fit to get himself to safety.

Abandoning all common sense, James sprinted over to the person he’d hated the most for over five years and took him under the arms and dragged him as fast as he could as far as possible. He could see one branch swinging down to whack him but he couldn’t stop it. It came whooping down and stuck him hard enough across the face for James to feel warm blood on his cheek. 

After a few more desperate seconds, Snape was safe. He was still unconscious and covered in tiny cuts all over every part of his exposed skin. James sat himself down next to him, out of breath and sweating. After a few minutes the tree and James seemed to recover almost at the same time. The branches slowed down until they were still and it looked like the most harmless plant on Earth. 

“Revennervate!” James pointed his wand down at Snape next to him. Snape burst into life, breathing fast, eyes wild. 

“Potter!” Snape tried to get up but winced as soon as he moved. 

“Stay down. You’re hurt.” James said warily. 

“You did this!” Snape said. 

“Did what? You came here on your own you dickhead. I was the one who saved you. You would be dead if I wasn’t here.” James sneered at him. 

Snape was livid. “You set me up. It was Black, he was the one who told me that if I wanted to find out about Lupin-!” 

“What the fuck kind of doxy eggs are you on Snape? Wake up! No one set you up!” James said. 

“I’m going to spell this out to you Potter; Black told me to come down here specially tonight. Why the fuck else would I have?” Snape said. 

James in that moment could have cast a dozen stunning spells at Sirius but on principle hatred of Snape he said, “well what were you expecting from him? A blow job?”

James, however, didn’t wait for Snape’s spluttering reply. He got up to finally levitate a twig onto the knot at the bottom of the tree to ensure they were safe. He had just landed the twig onto the know when he saw Sirius again in the inside of the tree. 

“Sirius Black I’m going to fucking kill you!” Shouted James. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Snape trying to get up again. “Lie down for fucks sake! You are hurt!” He said to him. 

“James I’m sorry, I fucked up I-!” Sirius looked terrified, there was sweat glistening on his forehead. 

“Get out of the the tree.” James instructed as calmly as possible. 

“I can’t! It’s Moony. He’s-!” All of a sudden something pushed Sirius aside from behind. It was a huge grey furred claw that could only belong to Remus. 

“Sirius!” James held his wand up again. Remus came bounding out of the Whomping Willow in his full werewolf glory. He gave a spectacular howl as he was finally out in the fresh crisp air. 

With the shadow of the Whomping Willow still shrouding Snape, Remus wouldn’t have spotted him, however Snape let our a horrified scream upon seeing Remus. Remus certainly spotted him then. Snape, who was still unable to barely move, was, in utter terror, trying to use his arms in vain to push him further back from the werewolf. 

Remus, on the other hand, was on all four paws getting himself ready to leap onto Snape. He stood up on to his hind legs when James finally readied himself. “I’m sorry Moony!” He shouted before casting; “Stupify!” A shot of red light hit Remus in the chest. He stumbled slightly but wasn’t stopped for long. At least, however, he turned to mark James as his next target. 

“Stupify!” Cast James again. Remus apparently felt it more that time and yelped in pain. It hurt James inside but he knew Remus would never forgive him if he didn’t stop him from attacking anyone. 

Sirius finally managed to get himself up again from the tree and slowly and carefully made his way out and around Remus to stand with James. 

“I didn’t even want to know what you did - Stupify!” James said to Sirius before stunning Remus again. “But, if you’re okay to do so, stay with Remus for the rest of the night or at least lead him to the Shrieking Shack.” 

“James, I’m so sorry...” Was all Sirius could seem to say. He sounded close to tears. 

“I know you are, okay? I know! Just concentrate for me right now!” James felt like he was pleading with him. “Stupify! Look Pads, for Moony’s sake lead him away. Turn into your Animagus and he’ll follow you. I’m going to try and take Snape back to the castle. If once you’re there and you can’t handle him alone you know what to do. Get yourself out. Leave him there.” 

“Where will you go?” Sirius asked, he looked more frightened than James had ever seen him in his life before. 

“Dumbledore. I have to. Besides he’s the only one who’ll stop Snivellus from telling the whole school.” James said. “Anyway, please Sirius, as quickly as possible take him away! I’m hurting him! Stupify!” James cast one final jet of red at the whimpering Remus before Sirius morphed into a huge black dog and encouraged Remus to follow him back into the tree. At this point Remus had been abused enough to have no objections to following Sirius and went along with him. 

Feeling like he was going to throw up, James backed a safe distance away from the tree once more. He was unable to stop looking at the spot where Remus and Sirius had disappeared into. He was scared and feeling immensely guilty but he knew he could hardly leave Snape alone to protect them. 

“Potter!” Snape called weakly from where he was laying. 

“I’m coming.” James said, finally tearing his eyes away from the tree. 

“That-that was a werewolf.” Snape said with the innocence almost of a child. 

“Yeah it was.” James admitted tiredly. 

“You talked to Black about how it was Lupin.” Snape said in the same voice of a scared child. “You said ‘Moony’.”

“I did, yes.” James said. He was trying to think of the best way to get Snape to the castle. 

“I don’t understand-?” Snape began but James cut him off. 

“Look can you just shut the fuck up for a minute while I figure out how to get you to school?” James finally lost his temper. 

Snape just nodded, all the fight left in him had gone a while before. He just laid there looking up at James like he wasn’t really James but instead a figment of Snape’s imagination. The only possible explanation for all of it was that it was an incredibly vivid, painful dream. 

“We’re going to go to Dumbledore.” James said. “Mobilicorpus!” Snape was gently levitated a meter up into the air where he remained floating next to James, right the way until they reached Professor Dumbledore’s office. 

***

Sixth Year 1977 Summer

Remus and Sirius were laid on a soft cotton blanket on the ground in James back garden. It was a rare occasion simply because they were alone for what felt like the first time in ages. It was the middle of the summer holidays and the air around them was still warm. They could hear the crickets chirping and both of them had had maybe more of Mrs. Potter’s Italian wine than recommended.

The grass grew high above them and during the day they would have been able to see bright wild flowers of dandelions and daisies in every direction. A little further down from the country mansion there was even a small flowing river that was shallow enough to walk through. Really, everything there was perfect. 

James and Peter were already in bed. James had a summer cold and he seemed to hate everything in the world because of it. He’d been sneezing and coughing for days but refused to stay in bed until that day when his mother threatened to hex him if he didn’t. Peter, on the other hand, had only arrived to the Potter mansion that afternoon after going away on holiday abroad with his parents and so therefore was desperate for sleep. 

This, of course, led to Sirius and Remus being left alone very much to their own devices. After having scrounged themselves a rather pitiful dinner along with too much wine they were both feeling happy and dazed. 

“You can see so many stars out here Moony.” Sirius said. He had lit a cigarette for both himself and Remus. On a usual occasion Remus left James and Sirius to smoke as much as they wanted, he wouldn’t join in, but in the warm night alone with Sirius, feeling drunk, Remus didn’t think twice about taking it. 

“There are stars at Hogwarts too Pads.” Remus said, looking up and taking a drag. He blew the smoke up into the air and swished it about with his hand, clearing it so he could see the stars again. 

“They’re not as good in Scotland, honestly. Everything is less good there. It’s too cold you see.” Sirius said earnestly. 

“The cold has nothing to do with the stars.” Remus laughed. 

“Sure it does.” Sirius said. Remus smiled sleepily. He wasn’t going to argue back no matter how unfounded Sirius’s argument was. He was happy and wasn’t going to let bickering change anything. 

“Moony?” Sirius asked a few minutes later. He stubbed out his cigarette and lent on his side to look at Remus. 

“Yeah?” Remus said. 

“Wanna go out?” Sirius asked, staring at him in the eye. 

“Where?” Remus asked. 

“I have my bike, we could sneak out, I don’t know, go to a bar or something?” Sirius suggested, trying to act casual. 

Remus bit his lip, he wasn’t sure about that. “We can’t just sneak out...”

“Sure we can.” Sirius smiled. “Oh Moony you’re so cautious, it’s summer! Who’s going to tell us off?”

“James?” Remus said. 

“He’ll never have to know.” Sirius shook his head looking unconcerned. 

Remus felt pretty drunk already off the red wine, he didn’t think he needed to drink more but if Sirius wanted to go out alone with Remus, who was he to act like Sirius’s mother? Inside Remus was screaming at himself ‘what’s stopping you?’. 

“Okay, sure.” Remus said and got up to dust himself down. 

“Really?” Sirius grinned and jumped to his feet. 

“What’s stopping us?” Remus said, feeling good to say it out loud. He dropped his finished cigarette on the ground and stomped the ember out with his shoe. 

They somehow managed to find their way around to the front of James’a huge house. Remus nearly tripped so many times Sirius gave up and took his hand to stabilise him. Remus smiled at him in thanks but when he looked at Sirius he found him already smiling back. 

When they made it to the front of the house Sirius walked up to his chained up bike, pulled the dust cover off and unlocked the bike from the fence it was attached to. Sirius, from his leather jacket, pulled out his set of keys for the bike. The bike had been the final ‘fuck you’ to Sirius’s parents as that summer instead of them inevitably kicking Sirius out he decided to leave and go to James on his own. It had been only a week into the holidays and Sirius had been living with the Potters ever since. 

Although Remus knew it had been hard for Sirius to do what he did, leaving his brother behind especially, but he also knew that Sirius hadn’t been that happy before since leaving home. Sirius even laughed when recalling the story of walking in on his father scorching Sirius’s face off their tapestry of the family tree just as he was leaving. They can all go fuck themselves to hell, Sirius had said. Remus privately agreed with him. 

“Are you sure you can drive it?” Remus frowned as he watched Sirius stagger over to push the bike into the rode. 

“Moony, I could drive this with my eyes shut.” Sirius rolled his eyes. 

“For me and you try and keep them open.” Remus walked over to the bike too. 

“For you I’ll do just about anything.” Sirius grinned and winked at Remus. Then it was Remus’s turn to roll his eyes but he did so looking down with a blush on his cheeks, smiling to himself. Sometimes Sirius was so flirty he couldn’t tell if it was real or not. Of course he knew really that it wasn’t but he sometimes liked to at least pretend it was a possibility. 

Sirius then got himself onto the bike and kicked up the stand for it. “Get on then.” Sirius said and indicated to the small seat behind him. 

Cautiously Remus sat back on the passenger seat. In the back of his mind he was vaguely aware there was no where for him to hold on. Suddenly Sirius kickstarted the engine and it roared to life more like the engine of a car than a motorcycle. Immediately they began speeding away, gathering so much speed Remus could tell Sirius intended for them to fly to their destination. Instinctively Remus grabbed onto Sirius’s waist to hold, just as he did the bike lifted of from the ground, Sirius urging it to go faster and faster. 

The wind was pushing back both of their hair and made Remus’s eyes water a little. He looked down behind him and could see the lights from James’s house flicker into the distance as they rode over vast expanses of countryside. “This is incredible!” Remus shouted to Sirius. 

“Glad you think so!” Sirius called back. “I’ll take you out again Moony, you’re enjoying it a lot more than Prongs did. He threw up the first time, although he was pissed off his face.” 

“What happened?” Remus asked. 

“We went out to this pub but we got kicked out, I’m not taking you there, don’t worry. James was drunk and bet me he could turn into his Animagus, which he did, but he then couldn’t change back. It was quite funny actually, I was just there staggering around with a really drunk deer. Loads of Muggles saw us. It was when we were on our way back, though, when these men in uniform kept on shouting at us to slow down on my bike. I just thought fuck it and we flew away, James threw up on god knows what, we were miles high in the air.” Sirius explained. 

“You mean policemen were chasing you?” Remus said, his eyes were wide, choosing to completely ignore James being a drunk deer. 

“Yeah I think that’s what James called them.” Sirius shrugged from in front. 

“They’re like muggle Aurors Pads, you twat!” Remus laughed. 

“Well, you know me, I like a brush in with the law every so often.” Sirius shouted. Remus couldn’t see him because thankfully Sirius was still facing ahead but he could tell he was grinning so wide his teeth were showing. 

After then they flew in a comfortable silence but it was only a matter of minutes before Remus noticed the bike dipping steadily and Sirius called; “we’re nearly there!”

They went on a slow decent until the bike thudded on the ground. They landed on a deserted country road but didn’t stop. A few minutes later Sirius turned off onto a junction that lead into some city Remus had never been to before. The city was filled with dark buildings lit up by iridescent lights. It was also relatively empty. 

After going down a few roads lined with closed shops and fast food places Sirius parked his bike into a free parking space. “Here we are!” Sirius got off his bike and threw his arms open wide to indicate at a nightclub he’d pulled up in front of. 

“How do you even know about this place?” Remus said quietly. Suddenly he felt awfully nervous. 

“Discovered it in my second week. I spent a lot of the start of the holidays just driving around this place, you know, to clear my head.” Sirius shrugged noncommittally. Remus didn’t want to press him further. 

The building had been painted black and was called Club Electric. It had high windows that flashing strobe lights could be seen hitting against. “Pads, I don’t think I’ll be able to get in. I look about fourteen.” Remus said, staring at the club. 

“Don’t be ridiculous! You look at least fourteen and a half! Besides do you see a bouncer anywhere?” Sirius said. He then grabbed Remus’s hand and dragged him into the club. As soon as they opened the doors they were immediately engulfed into the crowd. Music thrummed almost all the way through Remus’s body and pulsed in his hears. 

“This is crazy!” Remus shouted at Sirius who gave no indication he heard him. 

“Come on Moony! Shots!” Sirius pulled Remus to the bar where the sat themselves upon tall stools. Remus didn’t know how to feel about doing shots but he decided to go along with it. 

“Two shots of vodka please.” Sirius winked at the barman and put on his most winning smile. The barman looked suspiciously over at Remus but didn’t say a word and poured them two shots. 

“Pads...” Remus looked at the shot glass like it contained poison. 

“Live a little Moony.” Sirius leant in as he spoke making colour rise on Remus’s face. “Go on, it’s almost as good as Firewhiskey.”

Closing his eyes, Remus picked up the shot and all but threw the contents down his throat. Grimacing, Remus heard Sirius laugh before he opened his eyes. The vodka was burning down his neck and Sirius had already taken his hand again to pull him to the dance floor before he could fully recover. 

To say Remus couldn’t dance was an understatement, and he was fully aware of that usually. However, when drunk and with his hand being held by Sirius he couldn’t stop himself. In fact, he couldn’t stop laughing when Sirius spun him around again and again, pulled him in as they jumped up and down together and even dipped him down to the floor at one point.

Remus only began to notice that no one seemed to care about two boys dancing after several songs had passed. Despite the occasional name calling at Hogwarts, if it came down to it people wouldn’t do anything more than that if you were gay but Remus knew in the Muggle world things were very different. Even though Remus and Sirius had never done anything together he also knew how they were behaving that night was enough to get beaten to a bloody mess by anyone who didn’t like what they saw. 

“Sirius!” Remus suddenly felt very self conscious. 

“What?” Sirius frowned slightly at Remus’s expression. 

“Won’t us dancing look... bad to other people?” Remus shouted. 

Sirius shook his head and looked confused. “What was that?” 

Remus pursed his lips and decided Sirius was never going to hear him over the beat of the bass in the music. He took Sirius’s hand and pulled him over to the men’s toilets. 

“Are you alright?” Sirius asked Remus, slightly breathless. In the harsh white light of the bathroom Remus could see all the flecks or white in Sirius’s grey eyes and the slight sheen of sweat on his brow. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just wondering... we were dancing and I don’t know but wouldn’t that look odd to other people?” Remus asked, biting his lip. 

“You mean because we’re boys?” Sirius began to smile. He uncharacteristically looked bashfully down at his shoes and tugged at his leather jacket. 

“Yeah? I thought Muggles didn’t think, uh, too highly of that sort of thing?” Remus said. 

Sirius looked up, still smiling. “They don’t, which is why I brought us to a gay bar!” 

Remus didn’t know quite what to think about Sirius’s answer, or even where they were. 

“How didn’t you notice?” Sirius laughed. “I’ve never seen so much latex in my life! Even the music Remus! Cher?”

“I... don’t know… I didn’t realise.” Remus felt pretty dumbstruck. 

“Only had eyes for me I suppose?” Sirius laughed again. 

Remus just shrugged. “I guess so... I’m really not gay though, you know Pads.” Remus thought he may as well and see how much he could deny it. 

He pushed the moment he realised he was gay, which was distinctly the first day of third year and coming back to see Sirius having grown a foot, grown his hair even longer and had come to Kings Cross Station in very tight black jeans, to the very back of his mind. That instant had instantly seemed to confirm all his suspicions about himself that had developed in much confusion over that summer. 

“Uh huh, sure you’re not. It’s okay Moony.” Sirius rolled his eyes theatrically. 

“I’m not!” Remus heard his voice go unnaturally high and winced. 

“We can see about that later. Now, come on Moony let’s dance again. This is what we’re here for after all.” Sirius led Remus back to the main part of the club where all the dancing was going on. Remus did suddenly notice lots of men dancing together, grinding on top of each other. In comparison, him and Sirius looked tame. Nonetheless they continued dancing. Sirius looked like their conversation hadn’t taken place at all.

Remus, on the other hand, suddenly felt all his senses go into overdrive by the simple tone of Sirius’s voice when he said ‘we can see about that later’. It almost echoed in Remus’s head afterwards, he wondered what it meant – if it meant anything at all. 

Still, he tried to push everything back out of his mind. He danced with Sirius until his legs hurt and he had a stitch. He knew it was late as the sky outside had turned from black to a blue. There were, however, still lots of people in the club still dancing. Remus, despite Sirius dancing like he could have gone on until the next night, knew it was time to go. 

He also knew that asking Sirius to simply leave wouldn’t do; he’d need to entice him with something. “Sirius,” Remus lent close up to Sirius and whispered into his ear, “the sun will rise soon, you want to see it?”

Sirius immediately looked at Remus in a way that made Remus’s insides start to spin. “Sure, if you want to.”

Remus nodded and yawned as although he was more than used to staying up until morning it didn’t stop him from finding it exhausting. 

They left the club still hand in hand, not caring either. Outside Remus felt cold, he hadn’t appreciated how hot it had been inside with all the sweaty people he’d been practically on top of for hours. He shivered and Sirius didn’t seem to think twice about taking off his leather jacket and wrapping Remus inside it. 

“You didn’t have to.” Remus said once Sirius had finished and taken his hand again.

Sirius just shrugged. “I didn’t hear you complaining when I did it?”

“That’s because even though you didn’t have to do it I still greatly appreciate it.” Remus smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Stop your face.” Sirius nudged Remus’s shoulder.

“This is my normal face.” Remus grinned and nudged Sirius back.

“No, it’s doing particular uncalled for things.” Sirius insisted but Remus, to his happy surprise, saw colour rising in Sirius’s cheeks.

“You’re blushing.” Remus said with his eyebrows raised.

“You’re not meant to point out when someone else is blushing Moony, it’s rude and only makes them blush more.” Sirius did in fact start to go even more red in the face.

“You’re saying that as though I don’t practically have a degree in the art of blushing.” Remus said, and as though on cue he felt his face growing hot. “See, I can tell it’s happening now.”

“Yeah, it is. The disgusting part of you blushing is that its stupidly cute.” Sirius shook his head almost as though he was angry with himself.

“Luckily for me then it’s a frequent occurrence.” Remus smiled if possible even more than before. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt so happy. Obviously he loved being with Sirius and when they were alone it was even better but at that moment he felt different. Remus liked to think it was the worn off alcohol and the fact they’d been up for so many hours in a city where absolutely no one knew them that made him feel so free.

“You’re too much sometimes.” Sirius kicked at an empty beer can they were walking past. Where they were walking to Remus didn’t know and he doubted Sirius did either. The streets they were walking down were completely empty. Remus didn’t know what time it was but if he were to guess he’d say it was around four in the morning. The sky was now a light blue, on the cusp of the sun breaking over the horizon.

“Too much?” Remus frowned.

“That’s right,” Sirius nodded, “and you don’t even know what I’m talking about do you?”

Sirius was spot on; Remus was very confused so he just nodded back silently. Sirius gripped his hand a fraction tighter and along with it Remus’s insides got slightly tighter too.

They walked further and further on, away from the club and Sirius’s bike. The further they walked the less likely Remus thought they’d be able to find a good spot to watch the sunrise. So far all the tall buildings blocked everything in sight. 

Finally Remus saw a bridge in the distance. “That’s perfect,” he said. They walked on until they reached the bridge and Remus was right. It was like something out of a painting. The bridge was old and made out of stone. The water below it flowed gently. 

“Just in time.” Sirius ran to the very middle of the bridge, dragging Remus along with him. They stood leaning over the side of the it, the air was crisp around them. It was cold enough for Sirius to start to shiver without his jacket. Remus, not knowing really how to make Sirius warmer, just wordlessly wrapped himself around Sirius and tucked his head on Sirius’s shoulder. 

Silently they watched the sun break over the horizon. Light flooded across the river, reflecting off it and shimmering. The sky turned a bright orange within a matter of beautiful seconds and Sirius lifted his hand up to shield both his and Remus’s eyes from the sun. 

“This is amazing.” Remus whispered. Next to him Sirius nodded. They simply carried on looking at the sunrise in front of them. Sirius slipped his free hand into Remus’s and threaded their fingers. They carried on watching. 

After what felt like days and nothing at all at the same time, Sirius turned around in such a way that Remus still had his arms around him but now they were around his waist just like when they were dancing. Only this time they were much closer. Sirius’s back was pressed against the stone he was previously leaning against. There was nowhere for him to go but Remus’s wouldn’t let him leave either way. 

Sirius looked at Remus in the eye and yet again Remus felt himself blush. His heart was racing. 

“Sirius-” Remus began but he was interrupted by Sirius. 

“-Shh.” He said, shaking his head. Remus wasn’t sure if he saw correctly but Sirius’s eyes flickered down to Remus’a lips. “Remus I’m going to do something now and I don’t want you to stop me. I know that this could ruin everything so if you don’t like it I promise to never do it again but I can’t wait any longer and after tonight and everything-” Then it was Remus’s turn to cut him off. He felt confused and not even sure if what he was about to do was what Sirius was even talking about. It would be terribly embarrassing if it wasn’t. 

Remus leant in so his lips barely brushed Sirius’s own. His heart was thumping loud enough for him not to be able to hear anything else. He felt Sirius’s breath hitch against his lips but a fraction of a second later Sirius was kissing back as though it meant everything to him. 

Sirius lifted his hands to reach his own jacket collar which was still around Remus. He pulled it so they were even closer together. At the height of 6’2” Remus was taller than Sirius by quite a bit so he had to stoop slightly but he didn’t care or even barely notice, especially when Sirius deepened the kiss. 

Remus felt like he was spinning so it helped himself feel more grounded when Sirius laced his fingers through his hair and pulled at it. They stayed like that for what felt like a blissful eternity. When they finally did pull away Remus couldn’t stop himself from grinning. He leant his forehead against Sirius who was smiling just as much. It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!!! This was SO fun to write - perhaps the longest build to one kiss I’ve ever written but it was well worth the wait (I hope!) 
> 
> Thank you all for reading (sadly the story is nearly over) please leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you liked this chapter or want to give feedback! 
> 
> Xoxoxoxoxox <3


	7. Seventh Year Summer 1978

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again this chapter is split into two. It starts with the Marauder’s time coming to an end at Hogwarts and ends with a Christmas Celebration along with amazing news. It is the final chapter which takes place before the canon Harry Potter books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To me this really feels like the last chapter of my story. I have an epilogue planned but this chapter marks the end of the Marauder’s Era and could be seen to tidy up all loose ends of the group (if unfortunately we didn’t already know their fate). 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this final chapter as the epilogue will have rather a different feel to it opposed to these as it’s set 15 years after this one.

“To be honest, I’ve had enough of the lot of you.” Peter said, looking around the Gryffindor Common room with an expression of utter disgust. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you talking about Wormy?” James grinned evilly and made a huge point of giving Lily Evans, his girlfriend, (It’s about bloody time, was the general sentiment of the group), a kiss. Lily laughed and half-heartedly pushed him off her but barely managed to get him further than a few inches away from her because she was sat on his lap.

“You all sicken me.” Peter said but there was little heat in his voice. Nonetheless he played the part of the fifth wheel remarkably well, even throwing Sirius and Remus a glare at them as they were sat awfully close and holding hands.

“Wormy, how many times have we had to tell you? Get a girlfriend for crying out loud. It’s not difficult!” Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

“You never managed it.” Peter pursed his lips.

“Don’t fight.” Remus sighed, leaning his head against Sirius’s shoulder.

“It’s called playful banter Moony, my love, nothing to worry about.” Sirius said to Remus. He then tilted up Remus’s chin to plant a kiss on his lips. Peter made a distressed noise. Remus knew that the kiss was almost entirely to further wind up Peter but he didn’t complain. 

“I still don’t understand the odd nicknames you have for each other.” Lily frowned. Despite Lily recently spending lots more time with Remus and his friends it didn’t mean they would automatically spill all their secrets to her, no matter how much James begged.

“When we were in first year we used to use them as code names… we were really cool back then, sneaking around, pranking people.” Sirius rattled off the standard lie they told people whenever they asked.

“Funny, not only has none of that changed but I could have sworn you only started using them in fifth year.” Lily said. Remus knew Lily was clever but he sometimes underestimated truly how clever she was. He was sure she was onto them and the only thing that was stopping her from knowing everything was the fact she slept in the girl’s dormitory and didn’t see Remus and his friends sneak off into the night every month.

“Well, I’m disappointed Lil’, I thought you were far more observant than that.” James said ironically.

“I have to admit in the early years I tried to block the lot of you out of my life. Especially you. You were such a prat!” She poked James hard in the ribs. He jokingly exclaimed in pain in response.

“I was hopelessly in love with you you mean?” James grinned and gave Lily yet another kiss.

Despite Sirius pretending to make gagging noises at the sight of them which only responded in James giving him the middle finger and Sirius in return giving Remus another pointed kiss, Remus had spent the last year almost completely in happiness, surrounded by people he loved who loved him back. The added bonus of being able to smuggle Sirius into a broom cupboard to get off with him of course made it even better.

Even with the ongoing stress of NEWTs Remus still felt happier than he had done in years. The one thing that seemed to cloud over everything was the Wizarding War which was only getting worse by each day that passed. Remus hated how helpless he felt in terms of preventing the death and torture of innocent wizards and Muggles which was happening weekly. He knew Sirius and James, being the type of people that they were, felt even more guilty than he did. 

Every time Remus read a copy of The Daily Prophet there were new stories of the terrible things Voldemort and his Death Eaters were doing. People were appearing as key suspects that Remus even used to go to school with, Sirius’s cousin Bellatrix for one. “She’s scum, pure evil. Always was.” Was all Sirius had managed to spit out the first time she’d appeared in the paper for murdering a Muggleborn witch and her Muggle husband.

“We have to fight this.” James shook his head that day. “As soon as I’m leaving this place I’m going to join the Order of the Phoenix. I have to.” 

Since then it was a pact all of them had made, including Lily, to join the organisation the second they left Hogwarts. They all felt equally as desperate to fight and all were using that drive to cover for the terror they were feeling inside too. Just thinking of it made Remus feel ill. He knew the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who had originally bitten him as a child, had been one of the first to join Voldemort’s side too. Thankfully Remus had had Sirius by his side to help him when the news broke through the media.

Remus just was grateful everyday for being lucky enough to have the people he loved most always there by his side and supporting him. They all knew that joining the Order meant sacrifices were in store for them in the future but they all nonetheless hoped for the best future they could imagine and held onto it with everything they had.

“Hey, Moony!” James called, breaking the comfortable silence they’d lulled into.

“Yeah?” Remus looked up at him.

“You know we were talking about flats the other day?” James then couldn’t seem to contain his smile any longer.

“You were?” Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus and positioned him so he could wrap his arms around Remus.

“We were, and you know what? I’ve found the perfect place.” James grinned. 

“Really? Where is it? What’s it like? God James I can’t say how thankful I am, we both are.” Remus said, nudging Sirius. 

“Oh, yeah, James, it means the world.” Sirius nodded. 

“You know I’d do anything for you, and it’s either loaning you a flat or having the pair of you live with me and that sure as fuck isn’t going to happen.” James said while laughing. 

“You say that as though you haven’t spent the last seven years living with them!” Lily said. 

“Yeah, which is why I need a bloody break!” James said. When he saw Remus and Sirius patiently waiting for information about the flat he then spoke again. “So, the flat! It’s part of an apartment block in Brixton - which I know doesn’t sound great, but it’s actually quite big. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a decent living room slash kitchen area.”

“What more do you need eh?” Sirius pulled Remus even closer to him. “Brixton too? Sounds epic!”

“It sounds perfect actually.” Remus said quietly, giving James a small smile packed with gratitude. He couldn’t quite believe his ears when James offered to give both Sirius and himself money for them to live somewhere in the first place. They both knew it would be difficult to get jobs, especially for Remus as there were already rumours of him being a werewolf circulating outside Hogwarts. 

“It’s my pleasure! And when Lily and I have our own place-” James began but was interrupted. 

“-James! We’ve only been dating three months!” Lily laughed. 

“You’re forgetting one slight detail which is that I’ve been in love with you for seven years. I’m pretty sure I want to live with you.” James said, talking as though Lily was stupid. “Anyway, as I was saying, when Lily and I have our own place and Wormy has moved out and got his own place we can all be proper grownups and fight You-Know-Who to the death like the rest of the Order.”

“Sounds great!” Sirius said. “Although I love this place I can’t fucking wait to leave.” 

“Neither.” James said. “Also, do you remember that couple Frank Longbottom and his girlfriend Alice?” James asked. 

“Yeah, they were three years above us right?” Remus frowned, remembering they had been in Gryffindor and absolutely smitten with each other. 

James nodded. “Well, they’ve since joined the Order and just got married last week! My mum’s friends with Frank’s parents and they got invited to the wedding.” James said with excitement. “Honestly, that’s just the dream isn’t it?” 

“Woah there! Don’t get any ideas!” Lily’s eyes widened. 

Remus laughed at her scared expression. “I’d take it easy mate, Lily’ll dump you if you keep on talking about buying her a house and marrying her to top it off.” 

“Not to mention the kids!” James said laughing but Remus could tell he was only half joking. 

“James!” Lily warned. She was looking at her boyfriend like he’d sprouted a second head. 

“It’s not like Lily’s even being unreasonable Prongs, it would be a scary prospect for anyone to spend the rest of their life with you.” Sirius grinned.

Everyone laughed and James just rolled his eyes. “Thanks guys, really.” He said sarcastically

 

Christmas Day 1979 

“Merry Christmas everyone!” Sirius shouted, standing up and raising his fifth glass of wine. “I’d like to say a few words if that’s alright?”

“Oh not again! It’s the third time tonight!” James shouted back to him from across the room. Himself, Lily, Sirius, Remus and of course Peter were sat around a table in Sirius and Remus’s tiny flat. They were still wearing the hats that had sprung out of the Christmas crackers and were all full and happy from eating the delicious food Lily and Remus had slaved over the previous day. 

“Piss off Prongs, you’re under my roof now!” Sirius swayed slightly on the spot. 

James rolled his eyes and Remus could tell he was going to say something about how he was the one actually paying for the flat so Remus said. “Stop bickering you two. Pads? You were saying?”

Sirius looked lovingly down at Remus and took his hand from where he was standing. “Right, yes, thank you, well, I’d like to say thank you, to all of you. The last year has been pretty crazy getting this place, leaving school, joining the Order. It’s been fucking amazing though and it wouldn’t have been the same without all of you. So, please, raise a glass to a legendary 1979 and to a brilliant 1980!”

“Hear hear!” James stood up, raising his glass. The rest of the group soon followed and all feeling oddly very much like adults, clinked their glasses together in celebration.

Once they’d all sat down again and Sirius had drained his glass, he hiccupped and said, “top-up anyone?” He began to get out of his seat, grabbing Remus’s shoulder to steady himself.

Remus laughed quickly and nervously while he shoved Sirius back down. “Oh no you don’t. I’m getting you some water. Does anyone other than Sirius want a refill?”

“I’m alright Moony.” James shook his head and wrapped his arm around Lily’s waist, smiling,

“Another beer please!” Peter said.

“Coming right up Wormy. Lily? Want anything?” Remus walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. The flat was so small he was closer to Lily and James in the kitchen than around the dining table.

“Oh, I’m alright Moony, I’m sticking to orange juice.” Lily smiled and lifted up her glass to show him. Remus nodded.

“Well that’s awfully strange.” Sirius said frowning.

“What is?” Remus asked as he made his way back to his seat, giving Peter his beer as he went.

“Lily, you’ve not drunk a thing. Why?” Sirius said.

Lily just laughed at him but didn’t say anything.

“Sirius there’s no need to ask-” Remus began, sitting himself next to his boyfriend and taking his hand.

Sirius shook his head. “All I’m saying is, now I’m not calling Lil’ an alcoholic-”

“You better not be, especially in your current state!” James laughed.

“And I’m not! I was going to say, I remember a certain red-headed someone getting absolutely hammered and dancing with Horace Slughorn so much at the Leavers Ball that James got jealous.” Sirius said.

“I had fair enough reason! That slimy old git was enjoying it far too much!” James said while looking at Lily with his eyes raised. 

“Are you, James Potter, suggesting something went on between myself and Professor Slughorn?” Lily giggled.

“Lil’, you didn’t see where he was looking and it certainly wasn’t at your face!” James cried in outrage.

“I’m not even done either!” Sirius said, slopping water down his front as he did. “After that all happened, if I’m not mistaken you even fell into the Great Lake!”

Lily burst out laughing at that. “No I didn’t!”

“Really?” Sirius lost his previous grandeur and bit his lip in confusion. “Well who did?”

“Ah, now that was Marlene Mckinnon.” Remus nodded.

“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that!” Peter laughed.

“Bloody hell that was awful…” James laughed sheepishly himself.

“Don’t you remember Pads?” Lily smirked. “James himself, by the end of the night, was rather pissed too, and accidentally knocked Marlene into the lake by dancing to vigorously near her.”

“To this day I’m adamant that that has no reflection on my dancing skills.” James said.

“As if it doesn’t!” Lily said. “James! She nearly died from your bum pushing her over the edge of the pontoon!”

Everyone burst out laughing, even James. “It’s not my fault Dumbledore decided to hold the ball in a dangerous place!” He said after he’d stopped.

“Can you imagine Moony?” Sirius said, still laughing. “Death by James’s dancing arse!”

“There are worse ways to go I suppose.” Remus laughed.

“Thank you Moony! That there are!” James said in solidarity.

“Anyway! To swiftly move on from that subject and back to Sirius’s original question,” Lily said hastily, she got up herself. “I actually have an announcement to make.” Suddenly the room became very much quiet. In such times as they were living in someone saying that could mean a number of things, many of which quite devastating. 

“Well, we both do really, James and I that is, but we decided I’d tell you.” Lily continued. Remus frantically looked over to James to get an indication of what the news may be. James, however, was looking up at Lily with eyes filled with adoration; nothing new or different.

Lily took a deep breath but then her face opened up into a beam as she said, “I’m pregnant!”

Remus, Sirius and Peter all immediately jumped to their feet and moved over, as best they could in the small room, to hug Lily and James in turn. 

“Oh God Lily! This is amazing!” Remus grinned and said as he hugged her.

“Thank you Moony. It really wasn’t planned you see and I only found out a few weeks ago but they think I’m already three months through.” Lily said, blushing from the attention.

“It’s incredible.” Remus reassured her. “They best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

Once they were all sat down again none of them could wipe the smiled off their faces. 

“When are you due then?” Sirius asked.

“Should be late July.” Lily nodded. She had her hand gently placed on her stomach despite her not quite showing yet.

“And is it a boy or a girl?” Peter asked.

“We went to St.Mungo’s and they said it was going to be a little boy.” Lily said. 

“Oh wow!” Sirius grinned. He was holding Remus’s hand awfully tight and when Remus looked over at him his eyes looked a little more wet than normal. Sirius rarely got emotional but Remus considered if there was any time to get chocked up it would be when your best friends were announcing their first child together.

“We don’t care either way.” James said in a serious tone.

“That’s right.” Lily nodded.

“As long as they end up on the Quidditch field-” James carried on.

“Oi!” Lily laughed and slapped his arm softly.

“What’s his name going to be?” Sirius then said excitedly. “Will I blush?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Pads!” James laughed.

“Besides if we name him after one of you lot by the time he’s born he’ll end up being called Sirius Remus Peter Potter!” Lily said.

“Yeah, we were actually thinking of the name Henry anyway.” James said.

There was a somewhat awkward silence when James said that. Remus looked over at Sirius who was already looking back at him. Remus then looked over at Peter who was too already turned to him with a remarkably similar expression to Sirius. He knew they were all thinking the same thing.

“Oh, go on then, what’s wrong with Henry?” James rolled his eyes.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with the actual name Henry.” Peter said.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just ‘Henry Potter’.” Sirius added. “It doesn’t have the best ring to it.”

“Well, what do you suggest then?” Lily huffed. “We’ve spent bloody hours on it ourselves.”

“What about Harry?” Remus piped up.

“Harry?” James frowned.

“Oooh yes! I like that!” Sirius nodded. 

“I think that’s much better.” Peter said.

“Harry Potter.” Lily said as though testing it. “Harry James Potter.”

James was suddenly grinning again. “Harry Potter.” He repeated.

“I look forward to meeting him.” Sirius beamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t help having Lily announce her pregnancy of Harry here! I really liked the end of this chapter and I hope you did too. 
> 
> We’re getting awfully close to the end now so please stay tuned for the epilogue which I’ll be updating soon. It’s been a pleasure to write about Remus and the rest of the Marauder’s throughout their years at Hogwarts. I’ve never written about them before and I’ve truly loved it. 
> 
> Please leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you enjoyed it xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox


	8. Epilogue - 15 Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1994 Summer
> 
> Remus goes to see Sirius in Grimmauld Place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the very last chapter for this fan fiction so I really hope you enjoy it. It has a very different feel to the previous one and the amount of time that has passed exaggerates that. Nonetheless I really loved writing it. Xxx

Number twelve Grimmauld Place, number twelve Grimmauld Place. Remus repeated it almost like a chant as he got off the Northern line at Angel Station. It was only a short walk from there but he didn’t want to forget the address so he all but muttered it to himself as he walked. Dumbledore had sent him strict instructions to burn his letter after he committed the address to memory so Remus could hardly owl him back saying he’d forgotten it. 

As he walked the streets, apart from Remus trying to keep the address in his head, he was also trying not to throw up from nerves. The last time he’d properly seen Sirius had been the summer previously in which he’d only recently found out that it was their old best friend Peter Pettigrew and not Sirius who told Voldemort of Lily and James’s whereabouts, causing them to be murdered. 

Of course he’d been so happy he could have cried when he saw Sirius the first time but he knew he had to be cautious, it was Sirius’s word against the world and a lifetime sentence in Askaban. It didn’t take much to believe him though, he looked almost like a corpse when he retold his story, saying it like he had to repeat it to himself every day just to stay sane. It scared Remus so much he almost didn’t care about anything Sirius had supposedly done. 

When that fateful night came along, when himself, Sirius and Peter were finally reunited, it was almost fitting that Harry and his three friends, along with Snape, were there to witness it. Just like old times, Sirius had said in the first letter he’d exchanged with Remus after. And of course they had exchanged countless letters since then but this was the first time Remus was going back to visit him. He just hoped Sirius had gotten some food inside of him and washed since the last time they saw each other because it terrified Remus beyond belief seeing him in his previous condition.

He took a deep breath as he turned down onto Grimmauld Place. It overlooked a charming square but the houses were tall, dark and imposing. Everything he expected from the Black Family really.

When he reached the space between houses number eleven and thirteen, Remus had all but recited the address in his head for the thousandth time before number twelve inflated between the two houses where it was chronologically supposed to be. Remus squared his shoulders before ascending the front stairs. He knocked on the door as though he was going to a Muggle dentist appointment and not the first and last person he’d fallen in love with and then thought was a mass murderer for thirteen years.

Remus waited patiently but not before long heard movements behind the door. Then, almost surprising Remus, it swung open to reveal Sirius. “Don’t stand there, come in.” Sirius beckoned him in in a hushed, gravelly tone from too many cigarettes. 

Remus quickly took his word for it and stepped in. “Now, you’ll have to be quiet down here or mum will start screaming her head off.”

As far as Remus knew, Sirius’s mum had died nine years previously but he wasn’t quite willing to question that until Sirius stopped looking so goddamn manic. Instead he followed Sirius down the dark and cold corridor and through into a room that at least looked lived in. It was a grand dining room with a large kitchen that went right the way round to the left.

As soon as Remus had walked in and Sirius had closed the door he was caught up immediately in a rib breaking hug. “Fuck I’ve missed you. I didn’t even think you’d turn up.” Sirius said frantically.

“Of course I would.” Remus said hoarsely. It was taking everything in him not to break down, seeing Sirius, who’d once been the light in everyones lives, like this. 

They pulled apart. “Sit, I’ll get you a drink. Butterbeer?” Sirius said. 

Remus sat down at the wooden table. “Please,” he said, grimacing.

Sirius was back moments later with two bottles of Butterbeer and sat down next to Remus.

“I’ve missed you so much Remus. Honestly, you were the only thing that kept me going when I was in Askaban. Even in the last year being out really it’s still just been you and now Harry.” Sirius said, looking at his hands on the table.

“Sirius…” Remus couldn’t get the words out. It took him a few moments but eventually he said, “I’m just so sorry for everything you’ve had to go through.”

“You know Remus, at some points in that hell hole I actually believed I’d done it all. I wanted to die there. It was the worst torture anyone could ever go through. Worse than cruciatus easily by miles.” Sirius continued.

“It’s over now Sirius. You’re safe, never going back.” Remus couldn’t help taking Sirius’s hand instinctively out of old habits, even though it felt almost wrong and inappropriate to do, even though the Sirius sat next to him barely even looked like the Sirius Remus had once lived with and loved so much. “I’m going to be here as much as I can. I can look after you.” Remus said. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t. Although Sirius looked, and smelled, remarkably better than he had the last time Remus saw him, and even managed to cut his hair to a reasonable length, there was still a sallow air about him of a man who had spent entirely too much time alone with his own thoughts.

“Thanks.” Sirius said, sounding so empty. He awkwardly pulled his hand away from Remus a moment later, making Remus’s stomach drop horribly. “Look Remus, you don’t have to do this-”

“Sirius, I’m not letting you live here alone.” Remus spoke almost over him.

“I’m not talking about that. I mean holding my hand.” Sirius flushed.

“Oh…” Remus said.

“I wouldn’t expect you to… I haven’t expected you to… not move on.” Sirius said weakly.

Remus couldn’t hide the truth that when Sirius was in Askaban everyone, including him, thought he’d committed the most abhorrent crimes. He had to admit it certainly helped with moving on from him, and Remus did. He’d had several relationships with men over the past thirteen years but none of them really meant much to him or even lasted long. His condition hardly helped either, most of his partners being terrified he’d somehow spread it to them whenever they did anything intimate. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this.” Remus said slowly. It had been hard enough to change his entire perception of Sirius the first time he contacted him after escaping Askaban, but to now delve straight away into their relationship was simply too much for Remus to handle. 

“Yes, yes of course, you’re right.” Sirius shook his head as though annoyed with himself. Then, with shaking hands took out a cigarette and used a Muggle lighter to light it. He took a long and wary drag. Remus couldn’t seem to take his eyes off him, scared that if he did he’d vanish again as quickly as the smoke he was exhaling.

“Spoken to Harry?” Remus said after a little while. 

“Quite recently actually. Dumbledore asked me before the third trial happened to come to the castle to congratulate him but of course after everything that happened it’s a bloody good thing I was there. Poor kid. He slept most of the time, absolutely exhausted.” Sirius said.

“How’s he doing?” Remus asked quietly. Harry had already had far too many near death experiences in his life so far, it seemed so wrong that after everything his parents went through that he’d had to go through so much worse already.

“Glad to be shot of the whole Tournament mostly. What he went through in that graveyard Remus… Can you imagine? Fighting alone against Voldemort?” Sirius said, his eyes vacant.

“He’s the bravest person I’ve ever met.” Remus nodded.

After another quiet moment Sirius looked up, a small smile on his face for the first time. “Dumbledore’s told the rest of the Order I’m not a psychopath.”

“That’s great news.” Remus smiled back. “How did they take it?”

“That Molly Weasley nearly killed me herself when she first saw me.” Sirius chuckled softly. “McGonagall looked as though she’d seen a ghost, but that’s been the reaction for most people.”

“When are you next seeing them?” Remus asked.

“Soon actually. I’ve offered this dump as some kind of Headquarters for the Order. It’s the very least I can do considering I’m useless.” Sirius said in an unmistakably bitter tone.

“You know you’re not,” Remus frowned at him. “No one blames you for what happened, you know you’re completely innocent; the only issue is that no one else knows.”

“Those fucking Death Eaters do, Bellatrix must be pissing herself.” Sirius said.

“Don’t think about them.” Remus said.

“If I had the chance I’d kill the lot of them.” Sirius muttered.

“Sirius.” Remus said sternly.

“Sorry.” Sirius said, not sounding remotely sorry. “How’ve you been? I know it’s difficult to say in letters.”

“I’ve… been better.” Remus winced. “It’s, uh, been a stark difference to living in Hogwarts again. I’ve mainly been trying and failing to find a job, I’m homeless really.”

“Oh.” Sirius finally managed to look at Remus in the eye. Remus tried not to notice his pupils dilating, just like they used to nearly fifteen years earlier. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t tell you.” Remus shrugged. “I knew you were travelling and I wanted you to enjoy your freedom.”

“You should have told me. At the very least you could have come with me.” Sirius said.

“I needed time to process everything Sirius. I couldn’t have done.” Remus said.

“Oh… of course. Have you, uh, processed what you needed to?” Sirius said, sounding terribly awkward.

“Just about.” Remus gave Sirius a half smile. “I don’t want to be invasive…”

“Yes?” Sirius prompted.

“Would you mind if I stayed here for a few nights? I wasn’t joking when I said I was homeless.” Remus said while blushing. He was so embarrassed. He felt utterly pathetic asking Sirius, who’d only recently got his life relatively sorted himself, to live with him.

“Remus, you can stay here as long as you want. Surely you know that?” Sirius said sincerely.

“Thanks.” Remus nodded and felt a lump in his throat suddenly.

“Have you got anything with you?” Sirius asked, looked around to the doorway for a bag.

“Nothing except what I’m wearing and my wand.” Remus said, feeling even more ashamed.

“That’s fine, there’s plenty here and Dumbledore has been sending me food every week. If I owl him and say you’re going to be living here for a while he won’t mind sending more.” Sirius said. “There’s mine and Regulus’s old clothes too.”

“You don’t have to do all that…” Remus said.

“I want to.” Sirius insisted. “Anyway, it’s getting late…”

“Yes, it is.” Remus stood up. “I’m guessing the bedrooms are upstairs?”

“Now… about that…” Sirius stood up and stretched his arms.

“They’re not upstairs?” Remus frowned.

Sirius let out a laugh that took Remus by surprised, mainly because for so many years he thought he’d never hear it again. “No, no,” Sirius said. “The problem’s that I really didn’t expect you to turn up you see… and my bedroom is the only one even vaguely habitable in this house.”

“It’s fine, I can sleep on a sofa.” Remus said.

“You don’t understand Remus; this house is filled with the most horrible things. My bloody house elf Kreature has apparently done shit all while he’s been alone here and the house is crawling with God knows what. I only go in my bedroom and in here really.” Sirius said, biting his lip.

“So what you’re saying…?” Remus could feel the colour rising in his cheeks.

“If it’s okay with you-” Sirius started saying slowly.

“It’s not like we haven’t before-” Remus couldn’t meet Sirius’s eyes.

“Exactly… I’m sorry about it though.” Sirius said almost as an afterthought.

“Why?” Remus couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“I know you don’t want to, why would you?” Sirius laughed sarcastically.

“You’re overthinking this.” Remus said in return. He couldn’t yet put it into words how he felt about Sirius after so long but even he couldn’t ignore the tugging at his heart any longer. He knew he still had feelings for him.

“As long as it’s okay.” Sirius said.

“It’s fine.” Remus said.

“Right, well, it’s the room at the very top with my initials on the door.” Sirius said. “Take whatever clothes you want from the closet. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

“Thank you for this.” Remus said, reaching for the brass door handle. 

“There’s no need to thank me.” Sirius shook his head adamantly. “I’ve said before how much I’ve missed you and I meant it. I’m happy you’re here, really happy.” Sirius offered Remus a smile. Before Remus could even think of a reply to that he was almost thankfully cut off by Sirius talking again. “Just try to be quiet up the stairs, the portraits are arseholes and have a tendency to scream at loud noises. If you hear anything on the next three floors up I have no idea what the fuck are in those rooms so just leave it. Buckbeak, Hagrid’s Hippogriff, is in Regulus’s old room so I’d advise against going in there either.”

Remus let out a laugh. “I’d forgotten you still had him! How on Earth did you get him up the stairs?”

Sirius flashed him a grin, “oh you wouldn’t believe how difficult it was, I nearly didn’t make it.”

Remus just smiled at Sirius in response, Sirius who wasn’t his best friend, wasn’t his boyfriend and not even someone he used to go to school with anymore, which was what he used to tell people when they asked. He didn’t know what he was to him but had already decided he’d just figure it out as he went.

***

“You decent?” Sirius knocked on his bedroom door.

“Yeah!” Remus called back, feeling ridiculously awkward sat on the end Sirius’s bed in his boxers and one of Sirius’s old, faded band t-shirts. Suddenly he was brought back to the first time he’d been alone in a bedroom for a night with Sirius. Despite it being so different to his current circumstances, instead that night had full of muffled laughter and fumbling hands. One of the few similarities was that Remus felt just as nervous.

Sirius opened the door and went red upon seeing Remus, he quickly averted his eyes and walked round the bed to the other side. Remus too was pointedly not looking at Sirius as he heard him making noises of getting undressed. Not after long he heard Sirius move the covers and climb into the bed. Silently, Remus followed suit.

“Should I turn the light off?” Sirius said.

“If you want to.” Remus said, simply he couldn’t quite believe where he even was. 

Sirius waved his wand and the light dimmed gradually until they were in darkness. He laid his wand down on the bedside table. They both laid down side by side.

The silence between them was choking. Remus kept on thinking of things he could say but couldn’t get the words out. A few times he could have sworn he’d heard Sirius open and close his mouth too. 

Eventually Remus couldn’t stand it any longer, he sat up and looked over to Sirius whose eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling. “Sirius… I think I should go…”

“No! Why? Please don’t!” Sirius wrapped his hand around Remus’s wrist and pulled him gently back down. Remus complied halfheartedly and thudded back on the bed.

“This feels so strange.” Remus whispered.

“It does to me too.” Sirius said back. “But I can’t lose you again. Don’t you feel the same?”

Remus rolled onto his side to face Sirius. “Of course I do.” He sighed.

“Really?” Sirius rolled over too, his face full of concern.

“Sirius-” Remus rolled his eyes.

“No Remus I’m not joking. Everyone, including you thought I’d led James and Lily to their deaths as well as murdering a load of Muggles. You must see why I’m asking.” Sirius said.

Remus looked at Sirius and the longer he did the faster his heart beat. He was about to do something; he could feel it inside but he didn’t know quite what it would be yet. “Close your eyes and try to relax.” Remus said softly.

Sirius did what he said but looked confused. “Remus?”

“Relax Sirius.” Remus whispered and shifted so he was even closed to him. He could see Sirius’s chest rising and falling, he put his palm gently to it and felt his heart beating. “Shhh,” Remus hushed Sirius as he saw him open his mouth. Sirius almost immediately shut it.

Remus then very slowly lifted his arm slightly and gently brushed away Sirius’s hair that had fallen against his cheek, he felt Sirius jump slightly under his touch but he still didn’t open his eyes. Remus looked at Sirius’s parted lips curiously. He didn’t know what he was doing, he couldn’t think. All he was doing was acting on a feeling. 

Remus leant even closer to Sirius, his eyes fluttering shut. He tilted his head and brushed his lips cautiously over Sirius’s own. Sirius took a sharp intake of breath at Remus’s actions. Remus moved away immediately but was stopped by Sirius grabbing hold of him and pulling him back. 

Taking this as a mutual feeling shared between the two of them Remus kissed Sirius again, with more certainly this time. They collided like their lives depended on it. Not before long Sirius had manoeuvred Remus so he was on top of him. They were sat up now, Remus’s legs wrapped around Sirius’s waist. 

Sirius feverishly slid his hands up under Remus’s shirt and Remus responded by pulling briefly away from Sirius to kiss and bite the spot on Sirius’s neck which he always used to. Sirius groaned next to Remus’s ear making sparks erupt in Remus’s stomach. 

“I’ve waited for this for this for so long.” Sirius whispered as he planted kisses over Remus’s face. 

“I’m right here now.” Remus said back. He was breathing heavily. He reached forward and pulled Sirius’s top over his head to reveal Sirius’s lean frame covered in the tattoos Remus had once memorised. 

“I love you.” Sirius said, taking Remus’s face in his hands. 

“I love you too.” Remus said before leaning in to Sirius once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so much for reading this far I appreciate it so much. I loved writing this fic partly because I love the characters and partly because I’ve never written anything like it before. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the ending and found it satisfying. I was considering taking it further to even later, once Sirius had died, but I just couldn’t because I didn’t want it to turn into a sad ending. 
> 
> If you liked my writing and this fic I’m in the process of writing a Draco/Harry one too at the moment called There Is No Sentiment - check it out! 
> 
> Thank you all again for reading, it means a lot to me! Please leave kudos, bookmark and comment if you liked it! Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox <3 <3 <3


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